Lesson 5.2: Care and resistance

5. Self-care as collective strategy

Across all RESIST case studies, 

activists stressed that self-care is necessary for collective survival. 

Burnout, trauma, and chronic stress threaten both individuals and movements. Examples include:

• rotating responsibilities

• taking strategic breaks

• setting boundaries

• prioritising paid work or stability

• pausing activism temporarily without guilt

For some activists in exile from Belarus or Turkey, self-care may require retreating from activism altogether in order to regain stability. These acts are strategies for sustainability.