Take Me With You!

Mental Health Tools and Reminders for the Protest

Read Me At Home!

Mental Health Guidance and Support for Protestors

Pre- and Post- Protest Self-Care^[1]

Caring for Our Minds

The mind is where we house our thoughts, beliefs, opinions and our sense of value. Before, during, or after protest, it is possible to be anxious, stressed and frantic. In order to create space for healing in the mind we can:

1.    Unplug. Take some time away from viral videos and media. Vicarious trauma can create more anxiety and stress.

2.   Pause: Take time off from work or school if you can. This will help reduce the mental load you have to deal with during the day.

3.   Talk: Release the thoughts in your mind to a friend, family member, mentor or a counselor who knows how to make space for your experience.

Acknowledging and Processing Emotions

Through activism, it is possible to feel sadness, anger, resentment and depression (among many other emotions). In order to create space for emotional healing:

1.    Feel: Allow yourself to express sadness, anger and fear so that they do not remain trapped in your body.

2.   Gather: Surround yourself with people who give you a safe space to express your emotions.

3.   Write: Take the time to journal about your experience and accept the emotions that emerge as you do so. You may feel a sense of relief.

Managing Energy and Taking Care of our Bodies

For some, engaging in protest can lead to or exacerbate chronic fatigue, body inflammation and other physical ailments. In order to create space for healing in the body we can:

1.    Rest: Take a moment to sleep and take naps. Rest is resistance and helps with sustainability of action.

2.   Move: Walk, dance, stretch, run or shake your body. Allow your body to release the pent up energy within you. You may feel the pressure decrease.

3.   Self-Massage: Release tension stored in the muscles and tissues in your body.

Centering and Grounding

Sometimes in the fight for justice, one can feel hopeless and demoralized. In order to create space for healing spiritually we can:

1.    Meditate: Practice mindfulness and meditation to ground yourself in the present moment and remind you of your inherent value.

2.   Reclaim: Read, listen to, watch, or go to events that can help you re-ground and center.

3.   Organize: Engage with and support local organizations that can help you feel hopeful and empowered.

 Calming/Grounding Techniques

Consider learning and practicing these ahead of time so you can use them when you need them at protests.

1. Take 5
2. Triangle Breathing
3. 4-7-8 Breathing
4. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding

De-escalation Strategies^[2]

Things to consider:

• Protests can be stress-inducing environments
  
• People from all walks of life are bringing their beliefs, grievances, values, and their past experiences and traumas
  
• May observe legitimate anger at situations of injustice, it is important to be sensitive in responses
  
• Some people have experienced oppression/ exploitation directly and may frequently interact with people who try to silence them, or worse
  
• Frustration levels can become elevated, even in the smallest of conflicts or misunderstandings.
  
• Try not to take a person’s negative or aggressive behavior personally. More than likely you are not the reason for their behavior
  
• It is imperative that reactions do not encourage further negative behaviors or responses

Level 1: Prevention

• Self-awareness: Be in tune with how you are feeling and anything you may need when a tense or potentially dangerous situation arises. Take a deep breath before attempting to meet any immediate needs you or the people you are with may have. Do your best to be self-aware, mindful, and sensitive when engaging someone you don’t know.
  
• Observation: It is common to see people who are shouting loudly and expressing their emotions in an overt way. Things that are typically warning signs for escalating tensions (i.e. a challenging demeanor, excessive swearing, clenched fists and increased volume of voice) can be part of the action—part of expressing anger at injustice. It’s important to be able to notice and discern tensions that are rising that are different from the behaviors of most protesters (i.e. an argument developing between protesters or someone who is off to themselves taunting people or directing their anger at individuals).

*Note: Also be sensitive to the fact that your understanding of behavioral norms may be different from other people and groups. Also, it is not your responsibility to police or control the expressions of others.

• Assessment: What might a person be communicating through their behaviors, words and body language? What options can you offer them? Is the person’s thinking or behavior impaired? If so, they may respond in unpredictable ways. Is the way you’re responding helping? If not, adjust your response or find someone else who can help.

Level 2: De-escalation

Level 3: Action Focused on Safety

Aftermath of Adrenaline^[3]

Adrenaline Effects:

Initially (0 to 3 hours):  you might feel jittery, moody, irritable, frazzled, hyper, agitated, or wired. You might enjoy the rush; you might be overwhelmed.  

Afterward (3 hours to 10 days): feeling wiped, fatigued, shut down, pre-occupied, easily distracted, irritable or moody.  You may have trouble sleeping, be easily startled, or have alternating bursts of crying and laughing.  A “highlight reel” of the events might repeat in your mind, and you may feel a sense of urgency or impulsivity. Expect reduced psychological stamina. Headaches can occur, if they persist seek medical attention. Any pre-existing psychological condition could resurface or intensify in severity.

Basic Self-Care:

Sleep:  You may need more sleep than usual—make time for it! If you are tired but have insomnia, time resting is better than nothing.

Food: Eat to maintain nutrition. If you don’t have an appetite, take small bites or small sips from shakes.

External Stressors: Try to avoid additional stressors and major life decisions. Evaluate when you feel physiologically prepared to protest again.

Emotional Regulation:

1. Give yourself time to sit with your thoughts and feelings. You have a lot to take in. If you need to process out loud, tell friends or journal.  You may need to tell the story many times, to different people and in different ways. If you process internally, give yourself time alone to work through your emotional reactions.
   
2. Name the feelings you are feeling. Simply naming an emotion will reduce its intensity. Ex: “I’m so angry.” “I’m sad.” “I’m scared.” “I’m ashamed.”
   
3. Cry and laugh. You need both. You also need other enjoyable activities.

Soothing and/or Stimulation

Soothing: music, showers, slow exhales, warm fluids like tea/soup, non-stressful TV shows, meditation, hugs and cuddles, yoga, coloring, knitting, chill time with supportive friends, gaming, and time spent outside.

Stimulation: exercise, dance, take a long (safe) drive, take a long walk, play two songs simultaneously and track only one instrument, sing as loud as you can, clean, sort and organize, talk, and be around lots of people.

Still Ruminating?

1. Is there an action that you need to take? Either with your involvement in protests or something totally separate in your personal life.
   

2. Is a major identity or fundamental belief being challenged? Did you learn something painful or shocking about yourself or the world?
   
3. Is there some past trauma that is coming up? If so, then you will need more time and might need therapy or more support.

 Aim for sustainable functioning, or you can’t help others.

Do what’s restorative.  Be kind to yourself. Your well-being matters.

Traumatic Stress Reactions

Including Racial Trauma, Vicarious Trauma, and PTSD

From www.activist-trauma.net

Racial Trauma

Racial trauma is one term used to describe the physical and psychological symptoms that POC often experience after being exposed to stressful experiences of racism. There can be experiences of fear and hypervigilance, headaches, insomnia, body aches, memory difficulty, self-blame, confusion, shame, and guilt. Racial trauma is a cumulative experience, where every personal or vicarious encounter with racism contributes to a more insidious, chronic stress. When POC experience racism, it brings to mind both their own previous experiences with racism, as well as their awareness of the longstanding history of racism directed toward similar others in the US. Cumulative emotional effects and psychological wounding that is transmitted across generations is also known as intergenerational trauma.^[4]

Vicarious Trauma

Vicarious trauma is a form of trauma that occurs when one witnesses or is otherwise exposed to the trauma another person or group is experiencing. Not all exposures to others’ trauma results in vicarious trauma for the witnesser. What puts you at risk for vicarious trauma is unique – different people have different risk factors. The things that will help you address your vicarious trauma are also unique – they will reflect your own needs, experiences, interests, resources, culture, and values.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

From www.activist-trauma.net

With protest trauma of these kinds, the following might be helpful:^[5]

• Acceptance: Engaging in protest may come with some exposure to trauma. Feeling trauma does not mean you failed to protect yourself, are weak, or did anything wrong. Accepting that trauma is a risk of movement work will help you avoid shame and guilt, and focus your energy on your wellbeing.

• Escape: Getting away from it all, physically or mentally (books or films, taking a day or a week off, playing video games, talking to friends about other things)

• Rest: Having no goal or time-line, or doing things you find relaxing (lying on the grass watching the clouds, sipping a cup of tea, taking a nap, listening to guided imagery/meditation)

• Play: Engaging in activities that make you laugh or lighten your spirits (sharing funny stories with a friend, playing with a child, being creative, playing a game).

• Grounding: Bringing yourself into the present moment; not the past, not the future, but right now. Noticing and deliberately paying attention to the “little things” – small moments like sipping a cup of coffee, the sound of the wind in the trees, or brief connections with others. Paying attention to sensations. Noticing what you see, hear, feel, smell, taste. Meditation. Breathing exercises.

• Self-care: Taking care of yourself in ways that you know support your overall wellness, whether this be through nutrition, movement, relationships, artistic self-expression, rituals, or anything else.

• Meaning-making: Let yourself reflect, alone, in a journal, with another, on the impact of what you’ve witnessed on you, your beliefs, your values, and your understanding of the world. You may find the experience confirming, or challenging, deeply held experiences. Processing and integrating those meanings can be an important part of coming to feel less acutely distressed by vicarious trauma.

• Connecting to your ideals: When the going gets tough, remember why you protest. Maintaining connection to your values will help you maintain resilience. Although there may be costs to activism, such as exposure to vicarious trauma, the costs of not being authentic or not living in accordance with your beliefs can feel much greater.

• Support: Find someone you can talk to about your feelings of vicarious trauma, or share the traumatic story with. Traumatic stories often feel like they must be kept secret, to protect ourselves or the listener. Find someone, whether it be a close loved one, a peer support person, a religious or activist leader, or a counselor, who agrees to hear and connect to your story and your experience.

• Know when to get help: Go to the “When/How to Seek Professional Support” section for into on when and how to get connected to counseling.

Activism and Long-Term Wellness^[6]

Preventing Burnout and Promoting Sustainability

1. Understand that certain successes result in “non-events” that are more difficult to recognize, such as cultural impact or political disasters your activism prevented.
   
2. Realizing systemic change happens bit by bit, over time, and unfolds in various directions as society evolves. Accept the fact that working for justice is a lifetime job, and let that truth sustain a healthy pace and involvement level in your present work. Take time to celebrate the small victories, and focus on where we come from instead of only where you want to be.
   
3. Understand that personal physical care is good activism (i.e.: tending to healthy eating, exercise, sleeping, hygiene, maintaining medical and other personal appointments, etc.)
   

6. Stay connected to life outside activism! Maintain relationships, hobbies, and self-care in addition to organizing and protesting.
   
7. Take periodic sabbaticals from involvement, especially during the natural breaks that come with the ebb and flow of the political world.
   
8. Focus on quality not quantity: prioritize your involvement by doing less, but doing less more effectively and more thoroughly.
   
9. Connect with social support, whether that’s through fellow activists, therapy, pastoral counseling, or spiritual direction.
   
10. Play to your strengths when possible. Lean toward tasks that come easy to you, are tied to your professional work, are naturally enjoyable, or feed your overall enthusiasm and energy. Try focusing your efforts in one particular area in order to manage your energy and time more effectively.

News/Social Media Information Overload^[7]

• Be tactful about your daily scrolls: Not every post, tweet, article or message requires your attention and response. A constant intake of appalling footage and information can be overwhelming and triggering. Take social media breaks.
  
• Feel: Remember that your feelings are valid and take time to acknowledge them. Anger, sadness, fear…
  
• Set firm boundaries: You are under no obligation to explain your feelings or educate people on what we are dealing with.
  
• Indulge in creativity: Seeking out Black art and celebrating Black joy decenters whiteness and can provide some respite from traumatizing media coverage. Create your own art.
  
• Connect with others: It is important to seek support and comfort from others that you can trust.
  
• Make sure you follow good news and movement wins: While it’s important to pay attention and not look away from the pain and suffering happening in the Black community and in the movement for racial justice, it’s important to also notice the wins and gains that are being made. Make sure to follow people who are tracking progress as well.
  

When/How to Seek Professional Mental Healthcare

We hope you will seek professional counseling anytime you feel it would benefit you! However, we acknowledge that Mental Healthcare is yet another system rooted in white supremacy and in desperate need of decolonization.

Below are some resources to help you find counseling that is most likely to be safe and effective for you, including resources for finding BIPOC and LGBTQ identified therapists. Below is also a resource for improving your therapist’s knowledge and skill in working with activists.

The Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Service (CMHS) is here for you. CMHS is dedicated to supporting activist/protestor mental health, and to holding an analysis or privilege, oppression, and intersectionality in our work. Remember, you can always go to our staff page to look at our bios, and when you call, request the clinician who you would feel most comfortable meeting with.

Call us for counseling, or for support finding counseling in your area that works for you!

When might seeking professional mental healthcare be a good idea?

• When you are experiencing distress that is not shifting or improving.
• When you are finding prior distress being triggered.
• When you feel like you don’t have enough support in your life.
• When you feel like you don’t have the tools to manage what you’re experiencing.
• When your symptoms are impacting your wellbeing (sleep, food, substances)

If you are experiencing thoughts, feelings, or urges towards harming yourself or others, it is time to reach out. Call us!

CMHS Daytime Hours: (617)627-3360

CMHS After Hours Counselor On-Call: Call Tufts University Police at (617)627-3360 and request the Counselor On Call *we understand it may be stressful or triggering to call TUPD. Once you request the Counselor, you will be transferred right away, no questions asked, no conversation with police.

If you’re not in MA: Contact Crisis Text Line or the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (this is not only for people considering suicide)

Resources

Black Thriving and Wellness Resources

Race-Based Trauma Resources/Education

Mental Health Treatment Directories

Activist Trauma Community Care

Guide for Therapy with Racial Justice Activists