Activism as Self-Care: The Therapeutic Power of Community Involvement
When we talk about self-care, it’s easy to default to the usual images: bubble baths, candles, mindfulness apps, or solo retreats. While those tools have value, self-care doesn’t always look like solitude. Sometimes it looks like community. Sometimes it looks like showing up. And sometimes, it looks like activism.
At The Gaia Center, we believe that healing isn’t just an individual pursuit—it’s deeply connected to the liberation and well-being of our communities. For many, especially those who hold marginalized identities, activism is more than resistance; it’s a way to survive, to heal, and to reclaim agency in a world that often feels overwhelming. Let’s explore how community involvement and activism can be powerful, restorative acts of self-care.
Self-Care Is Political
The popular narrative around self-care tends to focus on individual wellness, often through a consumerist lens. But the roots of self-care go much deeper. As Audre Lorde wrote, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” For those navigating systemic oppression, the act of caring for oneself—emotionally, mentally, physically—is revolutionary.
But what if self-care wasn’t just about caring for yourself, but caring with others? What if healing was something we did in community?
How Activism Supports Healing
Activism, in all its forms—whether organizing, educating, mutual aid, protesting, or storytelling—can be an essential part of how we take care of ourselves and one another. Here’s how:
1. It Restores a Sense of Agency
Living in systems that often feel immovable—racism, transphobia, climate injustice, capitalism—can leave us feeling powerless. Activism gives us a way to act. To choose how we show up. To channel grief, rage, and hope into movement.
That sense of agency can be deeply healing, especially for those who have been historically silenced or dismissed.
2. It Creates Connection and Community
Isolation is one of the most significant drivers of distress and burnout. Being in community with others—working toward a shared goal—reminds us that we’re not alone. Whether you're showing up to a community forum, joining a local food drive, or organizing within your neighborhood, activism weaves us into the larger social fabric. That connection is a vital part of healing.
At The Gaia Center, we see this firsthand through initiatives like our Sanctuary Saturdays and Pay What You Can intern program—spaces that prioritize accessibility, solidarity, and collective care.
3. It Anchors Us in Purpose
Many people struggle with existential questions: What am I doing? What matters? Activism helps answer those questions by aligning your actions with your values. That alignment is grounding. It offers purpose—not just as an idea, but as something lived and practiced.
4. It Offers a Channel for Expression and Catharsis
There’s nothing wrong with talking things out in therapy (we’re therapists, after all). But sometimes healing needs more than words. Sometimes it looks like protest art. Or letter-writing campaigns. Or speaking truth to power in public spaces. Activism gives form to our feelings and helps us metabolize them into something useful—something liberating.
When Activism Is the Healing
Many people find their path to activism through personal pain—whether it’s surviving violence, navigating discrimination, or watching their community suffer from injustice. In turning toward that pain, rather than away from it, they discover a different kind of power. They transform personal trauma into collective advocacy.
For many of our clients at The Gaia Center, engaging in activism isn’t just about making a difference out there—it’s about healing what’s inside. It’s about reclaiming voice, visibility, and worth in a society that has tried to take those things away.
Avoiding Burnout: Sustainable Activism Is Self-Care
It’s important to name that activism, while healing, can also be exhausting—especially if you’re part of the communities most impacted. Burnout is real. So is compassion fatigue. So let’s be clear: you don’t have to do everything to do enough.
Here are a few ways to care for yourself while caring for your community:
Pace yourself. Activism is a marathon, not a sprint. Rest is part of the work.
Set boundaries. You don’t have to show up to everything. You’re allowed to say no.
Celebrate small wins. Systems don’t change overnight—but every shift matters.
Lean on others. Let yourself receive support, not just give it.
As we say often at Gaia, liberation is collective. So is care.
Making Activism Part of Your Self-Care Practice
You don’t have to be leading marches or passing legislation to be an activist. You can:
Support local mutual aid networks
Donate time, money, or resources to causes you believe in
Educate others on social justice issues
Join a neighborhood organizing effort
Use your voice to uplift others
Start with what feels sustainable. Start with what feels close to home.
A Therapy Practice Rooted in Justice
At The Gaia Center, we don’t separate personal healing from collective liberation. We see therapy as a political and spiritual act—one that can support you in navigating systems, reclaiming your story, and building a life rooted in dignity, agency, and care.
We’re honored to support individuals and communities in-person at our office in West Nashville as well as virtually across the state of Tennessee who are actively building a more just and compassionate world. If you’re looking for a space where your activism is seen as part of your healing—not separate from it—we’re here.
You are not alone in your grief. You are not alone in your hope. Let’s heal together.
