The Revolution Needs Rest Too: Self-Care for the Front Lines
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” ~ Audre Lorde
In recent years, especially during these moments of political upheaval, the news has been overwhelming; an unending assault on the senses and the nervous system. There are devastating headlines, a flood of images, and an endless scroll that sometimes leaves me breathless. My dreams are full of anxiety and destruction. I joined the resistance to feel like I was doing something, but the weight of it all is immense. Seeing the videos from around the country of the recent protests is so emotional. I realize how many people are showing up. But also, in order to sustain this work, we must take care of ourselves. Not as a luxury, but as a revolutionary necessity.
Fight, Flight, Freeze… or Scroll?
Despite the evolution since living in caves, our brains haven’t changed all that much. Our brains don’t know the difference between a news story or a tiger. Our bodies tense, and our breathing becomes shallow as it prepares to fight, flight, or freeze. This is our clever amygdala, which acts as our internal alarm system. Just like in buildings, some people’s alarm systems are more sensitive than others. When we hear about the latest presidential order, how you and I respond is different, and that’s okay. That’s normal.
However, when we’re living in a constant state of alert, when that alarm system never stops, it leads to exhaustion. It leads to burnout. Our brains don’t know the difference between reading about violence and experiencing it. We disconnect and find ways to numb out. Some of us doomscroll, grasping for a sense of control. Believing that if we know more, maybe we’ll feel safer. But in reality, it often just deepens our dysregulation. With so much uncertainty, this has a cost.
Self-Care Is Political
Movements that last are made of people who last. It’s so important to find a cadence of sustainability. We can’t know how long we will need to continue to protest and fight for this country. Historically, civil rights organizers took retreats, and the Black Panther Party focused on health clinics and nutrition. They found balance. During the AIDS crisis, Dan Savage reflected they would “bury your friends in the morning, protest in the afternoon, and dance all night.”
Self-care has been co-opted by capitalism to sell you spa packages, yoga classes, self-help books, bath bombs, and other fixes. All of which can be supportive. But focusing on the basics, on taking care of yourself, the daily tending to your needs, is fundamental and can be enough. The cliches that “you can’t pour from an empty cup” and the importance of putting on your oxygen mask before helping someone else are true, but don’t go far enough. It implies that as soon as you’re okay, then you can give all you have until you collapse, realizing once again you’re depleted. What if, instead of emptying your cup until you're bone-dry, you focused on keeping your cup full? Then the overflow, not your reserves, is what you offer others. How would that change how you took care of yourself? Revolutionary care starts with tending to yourself first, without guilt.
Start With the Fundamentals
Let’s talk about some non-negotiable practices to sustain yourself.
Sleep: When you sleep, your brain and body get a chance to reset. It can sort through the day's events and let go to prepare for a new day. How many hours are you getting? It’s recommended to get 7-8 hours, but everyone is different. Some people need more, some need less. Let yourself sleep after a day defending the Constitution.
Hydration: Keeping your body hydrated keeps the body moving, aids digestion, and lubricates joints. When you’re protesting and chanting, make sure you’re drinking water to replenish. Hydration supports stamina during marches and keeps mental clarity high.
Nutrition: When people are stressed, some people eat more, some people eat less. Making sure you’re getting enough of what you need keeps the body working hard, but it isn’t just fueling your physical benefits. It also supports mental clarity and emotional regulation.
Movement: Researchers have observed that after a deer, for example, is chased by a predator, once it’s safe again, it shakes. It instinctively does this to regulate the nervous system. Movement is how we release excessive energy and release endorphins, which help our mood. Some people are able to run or lift weights. Others prefer tai chi or yoga. Consider for yourself what movement your body is capable of, what it needs, and what frequency is best.
Boundaries: There is only one of you, and there are only 24 hours in a day. Learning to say no to what you don’t have the energy for or the ability to complete is important; avoid engaging in conversations that drain you or negatively activate you. You can prioritize yourself, the people that are important to you, and the activities you enjoy. You don’t have to give all of yourself to a cause.
Radical Tools for Embodied Resilience
Let’s talk about other ways to take care of and sustain yourself. Once you have the basics covered, or in order to make room in your day to attend to your needs, these are other self-care practices to consider.
News Fasting: Instead of doomscrolling every hour, pick one or two times per day to check updates. Remember to pair it with a grounding practice, such as box breathing or smelling something comforting.
Tending to microjoys: Look for three moments of joy or beauty each day. What about today? Any music, nature, or a kind look from a stranger stand out? These anchor us. Consider taking pictures of these important moments or journaling about them before bed.
Buddy check-ins: Friends and loved ones help us stay on track with rest, nourishment, and purpose. Wouldn’t it be easier to meet those non-negotiables when someone texts, “Did you eat today?”, “Did you stretch?” The connections I see happening among people in the resistance are amazing. We are not alone. Taking it a step further to support each other to be able to show up for the cause is key.
Eco-regulation: Spend time outside near trees, water, or soil. Nature is a natural co-regulator tool and calms the nervous system and improves sleep. For all of human history, when we heard birds sing, we knew we were safe. The same is true today.
Somatic reset techniques: Dancing, shaking (like animals do after a threat), and lying with your legs up a wall are all ways to reboot the nervous system. These practices help complete the stress cycle, which gives your body permission to return to calm. It helps our clever amygdala turn off the alarm.
Original Art by Mike B
A Message to the Tired Warrior
It’s okay to be tired. You are not alone. Your advocacy matters. But so does your well-being. If you burn yourself out, we’ll lose your voice in the resistance. It might be hard to say no to attending the next protest. Or not to call your elected representative today. But skipping one action now can leave space to continue showing up long term. What would it look like if everyone in this movement took their own needs as seriously as the needs of the country?
Rest is not laziness, it’s a reclamation. Rest is resistance. Taking care of yourself, putting yourself first, is radical. And it’s the only way to sustain any revolution. There are seven different types of rest: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. All are essential. Rested people organize better and imagine new futures. How are you resting today?
You are allowed to pause. The revolution will still be here. And it needs you whole, rested, and ready.
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