6 ways to advocate without burn-out.
As an empath and advocate you have an inner drive to help. You see a problem in the world–usually one that very few are working to solve–and you go full-force into fixing it. Feeling the suffering of others as if it were your own certainly drives you to help alleviate the world’s pain. However, all that doing for others can leave you feeling empty and/or burnt-out.
We need you in the long-game.
Your existence here is so essential to the health and well-being of the world and all being that inhabit it. Go-hard serving others > Burn-out > Unplug > Repeat. Does this sound familiar? You need a more sustainable approach so you can offer your authentic awesome self to yourself and to others, in ways that create progress.
It’s hard to hear this but, we’re gonna say it anyhow. Stop using empathy and advocacy in ways that are unsustainable.
Feel like all that giving leaves you with nothing? Truth is, you don’t have to choose between the giving of yourself, and the giving to yourself. It’s doesn’t have to be one-or-the-other. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Empathy and advocacy needs to be balance with addressing your own needs and progress. If you fail to take care of yourself along the way, then you can’t serve in the capacity that you were destined to do. You are a part of the collective. When you are helping to make the world a brighter place for all, don’t forget that you are just as important as everyone else you are serving.
Want to take care of the collective "all"? But feel like that leaves little left over for you? Taking care of ALL, includes taking care of yourself. You are part of the collective. Below are six ways you can take care of you while also progressing your mission.
1. Advocacy boundaries.
Am I setting boundaries to protect my energy?
You are a magical, beautiful, powerful unicorn doing awesome work in this world. But more of you, more of your energy… well sometimes more isn’t better. More can lead to burn-out. Your willingness to give endlessly is admirable; well, sort of; well actually, not really at all. You giving endlessly means you will not be able to sustain for the long-game. And you are perpetuating a culture that values the grind at all costs.
Don’t be an open tap, set boundaries:
What’s my energy budget, when and where do I want to (and not want to) engage with advocacy, am I listening to cues telling me to slow down?
2. Cut-out comparison.
Do I compare myself against other advocates?
Empathy and advocacy are definitely not one-size-fits-all. What serving others looks like to you, will look different than what it looks for others. Ready to share your story? Great. Not ready to publicly share your story, but want to connect with someone one-on-one. Also great. On social media, it’s easy to “rank” your efforts based on likes, shares and follows. The stats are out there, and can be pretty toxic, and sometimes demotivating.
Instead of comparing and ranking your efforts, ask:
Did I connect with another person today in a meaningful way?
3. Solidarity rules.
When I’m starting to feel overwhelmed, do I feel comfortable leaning on others?
Your voice and mission are one-of-a-kind. And it goes without saying that your contribution is critical in creating the world that you envision. But we all need a moment of recalibration and recharge. Having other advocates and supports that you can count on is an essential component of being an advocate. We all need to pass the ball to someone else from time-to-time to be able to sustain our mental and physical health. Community is everything.
Stop powering through it, get help:
Do I have supports to call-on when I need help?
4. Taking care.
What small change can I make to better take care of myself?
You knew this was going to be a part of the list. It’s always a part of these list. But, we’re asking you to please take a hard look at yourself and see if you are truly prioritizing your health and wellness. Self-care needs to be woven into our lives the same way sleeping and eating does. It is essential. This can look like uninterrupted rest, spending time doing the things you love, getting some sunlight, drinking water, or reading a good book with a cat nearby.
Let’s do a quick check-in:
What do I need to do for myself right now to ensure that I am progressing towards being the person that I want to be, for the long-game?
5. Everyday advocacy.
Am I integrating the values of my advocacy outside of “advocacy work”?
Sharing your story, doing a blog post, or YouTube channel, posting on social, speaking at an event, etc.; these are all great forms of advocacy. But when we are feeling burnt-out, we can fall back on simply using our actions and behaviors in our daily lives to progress our mission and purpose.
Integrate advocacy into your life in ways that don’t cause burn-out:
How am I integrating advocacy into my everyday life, in sustainable ways that create real impact?
6. Effortless influence.
Am I leading by example in all areas of my life?
You are a leader my badass friend. No? Don’t think so? Sorry. You don’t get a choice on this one. Like it or not, people look up to you. People model their behaviors after you. And those small nudges of influence can shift social norms. And social norms can shift the behaviors that shape our world. What we’re saying is: Your influence changes the world. Period. Even when you aren’t “on” you are still creating change. How you conduct yourself as an advocate on (and off) the court matters.
Even if you are taking a break from advocacy, you still are creating change:
What behaviors am I modeling, that are helping other advocates sustain their purpose?
Which of these 6 tips are you already integrating into your world? What other ways do you protect yourself from burn-out as an empath or advocate?
Drop us a comment on Instagram, we’d love to hear your feedback! And if you haven’t already taken our #MakeGood pledge, we encourage you to! We are all about helping others get some extra light on the amazing efforts they are putting out there into the world.