In these times of hurt and hardship on all levels, human rights and democracy defenders are in even more danger of #burnout, #exhaustion, #isolation, and #powerlesness from primary or secondary trauma. Here are some simple steps from personal experience of one of our team members. They can help address emotional distress and reduce stress and symptoms of exhaustion. NB: always remember to reach out for support and professional help, if symptoms persist and the stress levels do not go down over a longer period of time. #Selfcare is our secret weapon of resistance! At Araminta, we work on building and strengthening #resilience of #activists and #humanrighsdefenders who are on the frontlines of the ongoing fight for democracy and freedoms! #HRDs #selfcare #mentalhealthfirst
Human rights lawyer & Trainer | Senior project manager @Araminta, specializing in EU integration, law reform, digitalisation, and organisational development across Central and Eastern Europe.
#Resilience and #selfcare “in times of cholera” OR how much more I should endure?! Did you feel sick to your stomach, cried, or felt anger and fury while watching the White House “negotiations” today with #PresidentZelenskiy? If yes, you are experiencing signs of #secondarytrauma - hurt and damage induced while being in contact with someone abused, watching someone being bullied, injustice committed, or abuse inflicted in front of your own eyes (aka bystander’s guilt)! As bad as it looked to us, it was hundreds times worse for Ukrainians watching their leader being bullied. As we will likely go through future experiences like these (let’s face it!), it is important to understand and process these feelings now. What perpetrators and bullies want is for us all to feel fear, hurt and remain blocked in this state. Today we did not just watch an abuse on live TV, we were ALL indirectly abused as well! What to do now? Here is what worked for me at different times: 1. acknowledge and validate your feelings - notice what you feel exactly and what and where it hurts exactly (body sensations). Accept them without judgments. 2. engage in self care: do stuff that relaxes you, be in the moment of doing those activities. Any physical activity slows down the emotional rollercoaster - any sports works. Or just read or shut down all screens. Or take a warm bath or swim. Or just go out for a longer walk and observe things around you (colors, smells, sounds, shapes) 3. set some boundaries for the future and limit exposure to traumatic content - ask yourself how much you are “in the thing” daily? How long are you on social media daily (NB: more than 1 hour already affects the brain)? If you were to imagine a protection shield, how does it look and feel like and what does it mean you do? 4. ground yourself and practice some mindfulness - do anything that helps to “be in the moment”. Notice what is around you now, in the house or outside. Stay in the moment through deep breathing, feeling your body, noticing your breath. 5. talk to someone - contact a friend, family, therapist - expressing emotions helps processing them and doing it either someone who “sees” us helps to heal the trauma. 6. keep a journal. Writing about your feelings can provide an outlet for processing emotions. Journaling can help you organize your thoughts and give you a sense of control over the emotions you're experiencing. 7. Once you calmed down your nervous system, channel the energy from the emotions into something constructive, in your own circle of friends, network and influence, the smaller the things the better. Instead of conclusion: One of the most important things we can do for peace and justice today is to protect our mental and physical health and spin out of the feelings of loss, fear, and disorientation. we can help others and mobilize only if we are ok ourselves! #selfcare #traumahealing #wellbeing