Introduction:

Activism can be difficult, dangerous, and draining work. We are forced to juggle enormous workloads, chronic stress, and exposure to trauma. There seems to be a dangerous perception within the community that we must work to eradicate human rights abuses at the expense of our own health and well-being, and that a truly committed activist works to achieve their goals regardless of the personal costs. As a result, we are often hesitant to speak about our own stress, burnout, and secondary trauma. Jane Barry, in her article "What's the Point of the Revolution if We Can't Dance", proposes several strategies to improve activist sustainability...
What does self-care entail? Self-care entails a myriad of strategies designed to address stressful working conditions as well as to ensure more sustainable well-being.
Human rights workers and advocates are often subject to exposure to distressing situations directly and indirectly. From those working directly with survivors of human rights abuses to those working indirectly on human rights abuse issues, the need for taking care of one’s self is extremely important.