If my entire body was represented by a freeway, it would be one completely clogged with traffic. Messy, awful traffic. The lanes of the highway would be filled with things like pollution, because we’re literally 30 minutes away from Los Angeles, college applications, the modern American news cycle, a lack of sleep and the latest garbage spewed by Donald Trump and his administration.  

Everything moves so quickly. If one isn’t signing petitions against pipeline construction in indigenous land, they’re standing in front of Pershing Square, armed with posters and politically correct pins, protesting the repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. There’s always something to fight for, from police brutality to universal health care, and it’s hard not to want to play a role in all of it. It doesn’t help that activism in our current environment is more of an uphill battle than ever before. Social progression, in a political climate that so continuously rejects it, is physically and emotionally tiring on each of its proponents.

So how do we activists deal?

We all want to be these progressive machines, working against injustice and acting as the voice for the voiceless. We want to attend every rally and march, to sign every petition we can and educate anyone willing to listen because if we don’t actively participate in political discourse, then we think we’re bystanders. But we can’t be our very best activist if we aren’t our very best selves. This is why self-care, whatever form it may come in, is extremely important. We can only be efficient and effective if we, ourselves, are at top energy.

This self-care is essential, I feel, to the future of progress and social justice itself. You aren’t just doing yourself a favor – you’re also promoting a healthy way to balance activism and personal contentment. Something I, as well as many others, struggle with is feeling like I’m not doing enough. I’m not signing enough petitions, not attending enough rallies, not canvassing enough, and not making enough cold calls. This is contrary to reality because a lot of people with newfound political motivation are doing their very best to stay involved, and through this process are discovering activism to be fun. This constant desire to do everything and anything to help, however, is inhibiting us from taking care of ourselves. I know spending hours volunteering, canvassing, and protesting is exhausting and with a news cycle that’s essentially constant and never ending, I feel like there’s no escape (after all, Twitter sleeps for no one).

Self-care is something unique unto itself. Some may find it in physical activity and others seek sitting on their couches for hours. For me, it’s listening to podcasts, putting on face masks, and reading think pieces by Yara Shahidi and Ta-Nehisi Coates.  The calming effects of listening to your own body and mind is key. It isn’t about forcing yourself to sit still or ignoring the news, no matter how much you want to. Rather, it’s a break, one that allows you to recharge. This recharge should essentially allow you to focus better, just like one would do if they were studying for a massive exam (with short, frequent breaks).

A problem such as this feels so foreign to us; after all, it’s only been a year since the new administration took over and began to reverse the progress so many have fought to achieve. Never before, in our generation, have political issues consumed the public so much. Activism has evolved into a more common career choice, is a weapon in the pop culture universe, and feels much more necessary than ever before. But, it’s essential to acknowledge the draining qualities of constant political involvement and pursue healthy choices.

Self-care isn’t synonymous with complacency. I’m not saying we should stop being angry because anger in this day and age is completely justified. But being irrational and unproductive happens easily when someone feels burnt out and we live in an environment where there’s no room to deviate from pure efficiency. Activism isn’t fighting with some random white supremacist on Twitter, no matter how much we may think it is when we feel burnt out. While I understand feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and like you contribute to a massive systemic problem if you aren’t actively fighting against it, I also know that it’s irrational to jeopardize one’s own happiness.