Preventing Burnout

Recently, I was asked to attend a circus protest. I thought about attending but I decided that it would be in my best interest if I did not attend. It is not that the issue is not important to me. In fact, I spent many years of my life devoted to ending animal circuses. I decided not to go to the protest in an effort to prevent activist burnout. Burnout is a term that refers to psychological exhaustion and diminished interest that happens after an extended period of overwork.

I have been an animal rights activist for over 13 years. I suffered burnout a few years ago which caused me to turn my back to animal issues. I felt overwhelmed with the amount of suffering in society and my lack of ability to stop it. While I remained vegan during this time, I did not advocate on behalf of animals- I did nothing. Stepping back from activism for a year slowly helped me recover. Unfortunately, many of my old activist friends suffered burnout and have never come back. The animals can’t afford to lose another advocate!

Looking back, I learned a few valuable lessons from my episode of burnout and I would like to share them:

1) Pick issues with obtainable outcomes. We can’t change the world overnight but we can change the world in tiny steps.
2) Take a break to do things you enjoy. Make sure that you have fun and are not always surrounded by suffering and injustice. Learn to say no to people that ask too much of you.
3) Weigh the amount of reward you get from your activism. We are human and it feels good when we can see the impact of our efforts. Tabling, handing out literature, and McVegan events can have a very high reward. Protests often have a very low reward.
4) Weigh the effectiveness of your activism. Is that protest going to shut the circus down for good? Is chaining yourself to that gate and getting arrested going to close that lab? Is the 1 minute of negative media coverage worth all your efforts or does it do more harm? Putting up a billboard or an ad in the paper may be expensive but the amount of effort you have put into the advertisement is minimal and the impact is often more for reaching than a protest held for the same reason.
5) Visit with those that you are working to help. A visit to a farm sanctuary can help you keep site of why you are as an activist.
6) Most of all, stay strong and maintain a positive attitude that things will change- maybe not now but someday the world will come to its senses. Until then- you are doing what you can and every little bit really helps.

Alanna
Director of Operations,
Vegan Action

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup rolled oats (blend in blender)
1 1/2 cup all purpose Flour
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup soy milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
4 Tbsp applesauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Combine dry ingredients and nuts. Sir together pumpkin, applesauce, and soymilk. Add to dry mix. Bake 22 to 25 min.

Things you can do...

-Work to increase vegetarian food options in schools. Vegan Action's Dorm Food Campaign, CHOICE, and PCRM have advice that can help you make a change.

-Volunteer on behalf of your favorite causes. VolunteerMatch can help match you with a needy project in your area.

-Ask your local coffee shop to offer soy milk (if it doesn’t already)
If your local coffee shop doesn’t offer it, ask to speak with the manager. Mention that people are switching to soy for their health and for animals and point out that even Starbucks promotes soy milk as healthy, Earth-friendly, and delicious.

-Get factory farming documentaries aired on Public Access TV.

-recycle!