It is likely that many activists experience trauma in doing our work. This can increase our susceptibility to stress and fatigue or even lead to or aggravate a mental illness such as PTSD, depression, or anxiety.

This presentation covers why it is imperative to exercise self-care and develop strategies to maintain personal wellbeing and introduces some ideas for starting or improving a self-care routine.

This presentation also describes the connection between personal wellbeing and effective activism. Doing effective activism helps us prevent feelings of burnout while channeling our energy to something that can be tangibly more impactful, which contributes to a feeling of productivity and success. Included will be an explanation of what makes a tactic effective, research about effective activism, and considerations for how individuals can tap into their personal strengths.