On Burnout and Trying and Choosing One Thing to Do to Fight for Democracy

Meditations, and a list

Photo by Tangerine Newt on Unsplash

Okay, I promise this newsletter is not going to devolve into a series of lists (unless y’all are into that sort of thing, let me know!), but I have been dealing with a bit of burn out since the 2024 election and Trump’s second inauguration. Because of a combination of perfectionism, socialization, and the genuinely horrific state of our politics, I’ve had trouble admitting that.

In her seminal piece about millennial burnout, Anne Helen Petersen talks about burnout as the natural result of internalizing and thus living by the belief that you should always be working and that if you optimize in just the right way you can learn to thrive in a fundamentally unjust system. Politics has been the place that I’ve put all the extra brain space, free time, and extra energy I have after doing all the survival things since 2016. So I guess it shouldn’t be all that surprising that this devastating and destructive setback left me feeling a bit shattered.

But because even though I have now managed to internalize that the fate of our country does not rest primarily on my shoulders, I do genuinely believe that democracy is a group project, one where those of us with power and privilege also have the responsibility to fight for change. And while I believe in and celebrate taking breaks when you need to, and in fact will be taking many of them this summer, I also know that the real solution is finding a way to care about politics, to fight for the world I believe in, and to take meaningful action in a sustainable way. Feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed is not necessarily going to go away, no matter how long a break I take from politics, because when I get back from vacation, Trump will still be here, inflicting cruelty, violence, and poverty on people all over the world for fun.

So I made this list for me. But I also made this list for you, if you’re feeling burned out or overwhelmed by what’s going on in the country and the world. You can pick one thing, or as many things as feel right. I’m going to do one or two this week, and I hope you will too. Let me know what you choose and I’ll share mine next week.

1. If you too are feeling burnt out, I highly recommend the book Democracy in Retrograde, which is super useful for reminding ourselves why we’re doing this, what we care about and are fighting for, and practical ways that we can make a difference that fit our experiences and needs. But if you’re new to politics/activism, or you haven’t been involved in a long time, it’s also a great way to get started.

   1. We’re reading it for VSA book club, the coolest, kindest collection of nerds on the planet. Come discuss it with us on zoom next month!

2. Take a break! Turn off notifications on your phone, stop reading the news, watch movies on DVD, read fun novels, eat ice cream, make overly complicated meals, travel somewhere with no cell service, binge a tv show - whatever you need to do. Take a break!

3. Look up when the next election is near you and send an email to your friends, family, and neighbors in the area to make sure they are aware of upcoming registration deadlines, election dates, and where they can get information on the candidates. Ballotpedia is super useful for this.

   1. There are elections ALL YEAR ROUND. I’m sure you have something coming up near you - but you can also check out statewide elections in Virginia and New Jersey and find some candidates to donate to or volunteer for if that is a better fit.

4. Set up a recurring donation to an organization that invests in democracy and/or grassroots organizing. I currently have recurring donations set up with:

   1. The Vote Save America anxiety relief fund, which supports people impacted by Trump’s policies, helps progressive candidates, and funds essential VSA programs.

   2. Run for Something, which invests in recruiting and supporting young, progressive candidates for office for city and state elections around the country.

5. Call your Representative and Senators, about literally anything. I made a step by step how-to guide here, and you can write out your own script ahead of time, and just read it over the phone. Remember, this is OUR democracy, and it’s our job to make them hear us.

6. The Republicans in the House and Senate are currently engaged in heated debate about the budget they want to pass, and exactly how cruel they should make it. Medicaid in particular is on the line - a critical program that gives millions access to healthcare when they need it. Because they are so divided, however, this is a great opportunity for us to exploit those divisions and put a stop to a bill that will really hurt people. Check out this VSA toolkit and sign up for a protest, post, and call Congress.

7. Research the process for registering to vote in your area, and print out little quarter sheets that you can:

   1. Stick in the books you leave in the free little library

   2. Drop off in your laundry room

   3. Add to cards and presents

   4. Bonus points if you turn it into stickers that you can put up in the bathrooms of all your favorite bars and restaurants

8. Find a June 14 No Kings march near you and invite two friends to go with you.

9. Sign up to write postcards to voters all over the country about the impact of Trump’s policies on their lives.

10. Set up a recurring donation to an abortion fund.

11. Attend an event to support a local abortion fund near you.

12. Figure out when your next city council meeting is and attend! You don’t have to say anything or do anything unless you want to, but if you know what they are talking about and how it works, you’ll be prepared if something comes up that you do want to step in for.

13. Read a banned book, and then post about it! Talk about why it was banned, why you think it is important that people have access to it, and what you got from reading it. Here’s a list of the top ten banned books and their reasons, a database of kids books that have been banned, and more data on what is getting banned and why.

14. Do you have a story to tell or an issue you feel strongly about - like immigration, or climate change, or abortion, or queer and trans rights, or due process, or academic freedom, or the USAID cuts, or literally anything else? Check out the Op-Ed project and consider writing about it!

15. Send a postcard to the White House, DHS, or another federal organization advocating for something you believe in. Check out Project Mail Storm which has created a whole campaign out of this idea and this Instagram reel which gives a great idea for how to make postcards from recycled materials.

16. Pick an issue that you care about - Gaza and Palestine, immigration, climate change, rule of law, corruption, etc., and find one new account to follow or organization whose email list you can join so that you can get up to date information about movement and actions to take.

17. Next time a friend or family member or coworker asks how you’re doing, answer honestly. If you’re feeling overwhelmed because of the suffering in Gaza, or infuriated that the Trump regime is still trying to send people to foreign prison camps, or scared because we're dismantling the progress we’ve made on climate change, or worried about the impact of potential Medicaid cuts on your loved ones - say that! Open the door to talking about politics and government and the impact those decisions have on our lives. And also to getting comfort and sympathy and connection from the people in your life.