I wish I had the RIGHT thing to say right now.

There’s a lot of despair flying around. A lot of terror. And incredibly righteous anger that’s trying to find the right target to change this shit.

I’ve been working on an essay about ableism and the importance of rest, and as it keeps growing, I’ve put off sending a newsletter to y’all. But I want to be writing and saying more, and responding to the moment. And you need support, care, and inspiration when everything seems hopeless.

First of all:

The rage cycle is exhausting. You are furiously energized by the news, you take in more news than your brain can handle in a day, your furious energy grows, and you immediately want to do something. Maybe you show up to a protest. You shout and wave signs. You make eloquent social media posts. You aren’t sleeping enough. You feel guilty that you’re not doing more. You’re not sure what to do, but you feel the burden of what should be done, and the gnawing sense that whatever you’re doing isn’t enough. You have circles under your eyes. You feel numb. You tell yourself to go to another protest or join another activism group. But you can’t get yourself to do anything. You doomscroll. You crash. Then the rage cycle begins again.

This is not sustainable activism.

But please don’t judge yourself. I’ve been through that cycle a thousand times. It’s quite literally what our environment sets us up for: social media, constant news exposure, lots of eager energy trying to find a focus, human rage on a large scale. You can get off social media and still succumb to this. It’s all coming from a good place: your compassionate heart, your desire to make real change, your capacity for connection. You are not the problem here.

In fact, all the underlying factors that fuel the rage cycle can be redirected to fuel sustainable communal change. It just takes a few adjustments (some of which you’ve probably implemented in other areas of your life!):

1. You are allowed to rest, even when shit is really, really bad. Like, every day. Even every hour you can find a few moments to disconnect and reset.

2. You need two big reminders as often as possible. One: You cannot fix everything. Two: everything cannot be fixed right now. (But also, that does not mean it’s time to give up!)

   

3. Meaningful connection is essential. Talk to a friend. Laugh together. Make a plan about a small way to help each other, your community, or someone who’s struggling.

4. Find your superpower and hone it. Activism involves many different roles, and trying to do everything is not efficient or effective. The stuff that’s easy and magical for you is needed in the movement.

5. Allow for integration of urgent activist work without abandoning your core mission. Maybe that means something as simple as cooking a meal for a friend who’s on the ground, while your primary role is behind the scenes.

I’ve got a lot more to share, but I want to keep today’s message simple. Forward this to a friend who needs to hear it. Take a breather. Give yourself permission to not have it all figured out right now, to be confused and overwhelmed. The exhaustion doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re ready to break out of this cycle and put down some deeper roots.

I love you, and I’m proud of you.

Nat

PS. I’ve got BIG plans for Impure Leftist this year, and I’d love your support. You can become a paid subscriber (and my hero!) for $7/mo or $70/yr.