There is beauty in the struggle! Atlanta continues to foster a city of activists. Environmental justice pioneers, nonprofit founders, writers, politicians, dancers, rappers and visual artists showcase their desire for change in a collage of lyrics written, nonprofits founded, choreographed routines, marches organized, and political agendas crafted. The montage of impact produces global impacts without addressing the impact on the activists.
The fights that social justice activists and advocates feel compelled to address can eventually take a toll on health and well-being. The pressure can be suffocating and isolating.
If you’re finding beauty in the struggle and sensing some ugliness in the success. Here are some ways you can check in with yourself:
💡Self-reflection–spend some time with yourself and let your mind be quiet. What comes up for you?
💡Journaling-grab a journal or an empty notebook and just allow yourself to write whatever is on your mind. Where did you start? Where did you end up?
💡Meditation-another method for quieting your mind. Allow yourself to think without attaching judgment to your thoughts.
Your mental and emotional health is not secondary to your physical health–or to anything else in your life. In fact if we have learned anything over the past few years in a global pandemic, it’s that you must put your mental health first.
What we need most right now is our activists showing up in the world as your best and highest and most alive self :
In your work
In your personal lives
For your family and friends
This is how we move forward and keep our momentum. Check the comments section for a resource to do a mental health self-assessment. Don’t wait to ask for help if you think you might need it…every person deserves the help and support they need to thrive in this world.
