Sugges ted Re ad in gs

Burgless, Steven (2001) Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People

Overcome Burnout, Random House.
Covey, S & Merrill, A (1994) First Things First Simon & Schuster NY.
Glouberman, Dina (2007). The Joy of Burnout: How Burning Out
Unlocks the Way to a Better, Brighter Future, Skyros Books.
Green, T & Woodrow, P (1993) Insight & Action - How to Discover &
Support a Life of Integrity and Commitment to Change, New Society
Publishers, Philadelphia.
Jaffe, D & Scott, C (1984) From Burnout to Balance - a Workbook for
Peak Performance and Self-Renewal, McGraw Hill, New York.

Ryan, R & Travis, J (1981) Wellness Workbook - Creating Vibrant

Health, Alternatives to Illness and Burnout, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley
Ca.
Shields, Katrina (1991) In the Tiger's Mouth: An Empowerment Guide
For Social Action, Millenium Books, Newtown, NSW.
Wollman, Neil (2007) Dealing With or Preventing Burnout in Activist
Work, http://www.radpsynet.org/docs/wollman-burnout.html
Shields, Katrina (2011) Stress Management & Burnout Prevention,
ACLU,
http://action.aclu.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AS_burnoutprevention

Note: this flier deals with burnout, not trauma. For issues related to trauma:
Activist Trauma Support Tel: 07962 406940
Email: activist_trauma@riseup.net www.activist-trauma.net

Activism & Burnout: The Cliff Notes

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental
exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in situations that
are emotionally demanding. Burnout makes you a less effective activist,
and it can adversely affect those around you and the organizations we
work within. While burning out is part of a process of growth and
involvement and is often accepted as a byproduct of activism, we can
work to support ourselves and others so we are more effective and
healthy. Burnout is the way your body and heart communicate your limits
to you, and it is important to listen to and respect that. We can use
burnout as an opportunity to reevaluate, prioritize and to develop more
sustainable and healthy working stylesburnout doesnt have to be a
break down; it can be a break through!
Symp toms of Burn out : The R at in g Sc ale*
Think over the past 3 months and score the following questions according
to how often you have experienced these symptoms.
0 =Never 1 =Very rarely 2 =Rarely 3 =Sometimes 4 =Often 5 =Very often

1. Do you feel fatigued in a way that rest or sleep does not relieve?
2. Do you feel more cynical, pessimistic or disillusioned about things you
used to feel positive about?
3. Do you feel a sadness or emptiness inside?
4. Do you have physical symptoms of stress, eg insomnia, stomach pains,
headaches, migraines?
5. Is your memory unreliable?
6. Are you irritable or emotional with a short fuse?
7. Have you been more susceptible to illness lately, eg colds, 'flu, food
allergies, hay fever?
8. Do you feel like isolating yourself from colleagues, friends or family?
9. Is it hard to enjoy yourself, have fun, relax and experience joy in your
life?
10. Do you feel that you are accomplishing less in your work?

Scoring:
0 - 15 You are doing well.
16 - 25 Some attention needed, you may be a candidate.
26 - 35 You are on the road to burnout. Make changes now.
36 - 50 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

seasons of Buffy in a row, cooking, talking walks, being in nature,

time with family or loved ones, gardening, reading novels, seeing
comedy, sleeping in, sleeping with, praying.

Strategies to Create a Sustainable Activist Culture

The symptoms of burnout, or even of self-care, are sometimes interpreted

by ourselves or others as being a bad activist: withdrawal,
disillusionment, short emotional fuses, and opting out of some activities
can become stigmatized. Recognizing burnout and supporting each other
is integral to a long-term, sustainable movement.
*Taken from ACLUs Social Change Training, by Katrina Sheilds.

Strategies for Self-care

Reflect on your attitudes, beliefs, motives and self talk

Recognize and respect feelings of sadness or despair
Think about the relationship between who you are and what you
do, and what your expectations for yourself are
Seek support, either from your community, family, friends, or
professionals
Connect or reconnect with your form of spirituality. Think about
what gives the world intrinsic value
Become a specialist and use your specific talents in the movement
Prioritize your role(s) as an activist. Reduce certain commitments
and do less activities/projects, but do them better
Let things go: trust that others in the movement will do a good
job, and/or let specific actions or events fail gracefully
Explore your creativity in areas that dont involve outwitting the
police or foiling corporate shenanigans
Get enough sleep, eat well and exercise (and call your mother)
Assess whether your use of drugs, alcohol, caffeine and other
altering substances is helping or hindering you
Be involved in activities and communities outside of your
political work
Prioritize time to have fun, relax and laugh
Think about what rejuvenates and centers you, and prioritize it:
dancing, listening to or making music, meditating, watching three

Be intentional and deliberate about your work by setting

SMART goals. (SMART=Specific, Measureable, Achievable,
Relevant, Timebound) SMART goals give the group a shared
standard by which to measure progress and review strengths and
weaknesses. This is especially useful and necessary when group
members need to talk about workload.
Create space for reflection. Emotional and physical check-ins at
the beginning or end of each meeting, periodic burnout
assessments, and planned reviews of goals and progress will help
your group become more effective and healthier.
Recognize each others work.
Organize for the long-haul to keep short-term actions and goals
in perspective.
Reconnect with your vision as an individual and as a group.
Most people are activists for highly personal reasons and when
you connect the groups work to individual passions it helps
foster awareness, empathy, and creativity.
Encourage people to express feelings of distress, fear, grief
and loss and frustration. Respect them as normal and healthy
responses to unhealthy situations and the state of the world.
Provide individual or group debriefing after critical incidents
or high stress campaigns. Keep an eye open for vulnerable
individuals and discuss appropriate forms of intervention
beforehand.
Put stress prevention strategies on the agenda for meetings.
Learn to facilitate conflict.
Take time to celebrate and have fun within your group or
community!

In the end, no individual solution fits all situations. Find the combination
that suits your needs and the needs of your group, experiment, invent,
enjoy.