Over the weekend, the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, activist community lost of their own. An activist who had spent over twenty years working with residents of a blighted neighborhood passed away. The way the obituary was written, and some social media posts from other activists, make me wonder if he may have taken his own life.
I find that idea hard to accept, mainly because this activist was a person of faith. I may be able to get some answers in a few days, but there was another concern that crept into my thoughts.
That concern is how, in this current climate, where attacks seem to come from every level of government and at anyone who does not meet the definition an autocrat makes of a "real citizen", activists can keep from sinking into depression or burning themselves out.
I am no counselor or psychologist, so take this advice with a grain of salt. But a lot of these are common sense, and things that are often applied to work, school, etc.
One is to simply not get overwhelmed. This can be hard as leaders like Trump seem to go from one group to another; its immigrants, then LGBTQ+, then Women. An activist could easily get to going in circles. A better approach may be to focus on a few issues that matter, or look at things that can overlap.
Another piece of advice is to have a support network. These could be fellow activists, family, co-workers, or perhaps clergy. Have people that will hear you out and bring you down to earth if necessary.
A third idea is to make sure that you have things that aren't related to activism. #Theresistance will be fine without for a few hours or days. Make sure you have other hobbies or activities that are separate from activism.
One last thing that may be very hard to do in this age of social media is to disconnect. Take breaks from social media; take a walk or go to a concert.
An anxious activist or a depressed dissenter is not going to be effective. As important as it is in this current situation for activists to be physically ready, being mentally strong may be even more important.
