Self-care is the greatest act of resistance in activism

On a Sunday in quarantine, watching TV, I heard the actor Lazaro Ramos say that “we cannot stop fighting” in an interview about racism, days after the murders of João Pedro and George Floyd🇧🇷 Tears began to flow at the time, as if he saw exactly my feelings. It was a mixture of guilt for not doing more for mine, pain for the constant loss of our lives and rights and tiredness for seeing that in practice little has changed. A cycle to shake any mental health. But, as distressing as this conflict is, psychologist Nayara de Souza Gomes, from Rio de Janeiro, points out that this is the first step to balance the balance. “In all situations, it is important to accept feelings without judgment and then think about how to deal with them. That is the greatest gesture of affection,” she advises.

Living and trying to fight systems of oppression have that. Even for those who are not activists, the fact of being someone belonging to an oppressed group already puts you in the pack of those who are not on an equal footing with the socially accepted. “Our lives as people who occupy this position of oppression are conflicting. That in itself is tiring. With the fight, which can be carried out in different ways, the individual can have activism occupying most or all of his time”, explains Nayara, master in social psychology from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro.

In a conversation with a college friend, biology student and artisan, Samela Sateré Mawé, 23, from Manaus, discovered that she and her mother were activists, as they both fight for indigenous causes. “I had never heard that word, but I exercised even without being aware of its meaning. I always attended the meetings of the association of indigenous women, created by my grandmother, but it was only in 2006 that I really embraced the indigenous and environmental cause”, recalls the student, who is also a member of the indigenous group at the Universidade Estadual da Amazonas and Fridays for Future, international foundation of activist Greta Thunberg. “We don’t stop, even with fatigue and criticism, because it’s a fight for a collective benefit”, she expresses.

For English teacher and content creator, Aretha Soyombo, 24, from Belo Horizonte, even people expect her to live activism intensely. “I get tired and stressed. Many people, most of them white, ask me about cases of racism and ask me not to say anything, as if that would nullify my concern. With every news of the death of a black child in Brazil, my dream of being a mother here is shaken. This moves me a lot ”, explains the influencer, who addresses issues of her reality as a black woman on Twitter and in lectures.

Graduated in Public Relations, Isa Meirelles, 27 years old, from São José dos Campos, realized that she needed to create communication strategies to connect with different people. In this process, she created the Quem São Elas collective, a community of solutions for more representative fashion and beauty, and Tech Disability, the first community for inclusion of people with disabilities in the technology market in Brazil. “It’s a daily struggle, it makes you want to give up because you have to justify the need and the collective benefits of accessibility”, says the communicator, who recognized herself as a person with a disability at the age of 23 when entering the job market. “I actually lost the sight in my left eye at age 4 due to congenital glaucoma. Prejudice is invisible to the family itself in an attempt to protect us, ”she warns.

In the case of activist and actress, Brenn Souza, 23, from Rio Branco, minority causes and activism came to her through graduation, a time when she began to read about racism, machismo and LGBTphobia, the latter of which touched her in a profound way. even more personal. “In college, I started my gender transition process. This served as a starting point for me to become an activist, as I saw that neither my body nor my voice had guaranteed rights in this society. It was a process to discover myself as a transvestite, but also to be able to help members of other minority groups, who need equity and equality as much as I do”, points out the performer.

taking care of yourself

According to Nayara, dosing energy in activism does not mean detracting from the importance of its causes, but rather placing oneself as a priority to come back stronger. “In a society that wants us dead and sick, the best weapon is to be alive and pulsating. We need to look at ourselves as humanized beings, who make mistakes and successes”, warns the professional, who also guides a mapping of reactions. “By accepting feelings, we create a baggage of experience. From that, you identify when you did something that generated relief or that potentialized your anger, causing later fatigue. This serves as a basis for the following situations”.

Both Samela and Bren rely on nature to recover the energy sucked when fighting for their existences. “Last week, between one meeting and another, I managed to take a bath in the Rio Negro, which calmed me down a lot, as well as being with my family. Another solution I found was to buy a chip just to deal with the association’s projects, which I only leave on during the week”, says Samela, who also bets on chamomile teas. “I’m looking for somewhere wooded with plenty of greenery to reenergize myself. Calling friends, having a beer and going to therapy are also essential alternatives”, explains the actress, who this year decided to discuss politics, for example, only with those who show an interest in a healthy dialogue. “I prefer not to have contact with people who will suck me and the discussion will lead to nothing”, she reveals.

On psychological follow-up, Nayara emphasizes a representativeness movement in the offices. “With a professional who identifies with their sexual orientation or has the same ethnicity, patients feel more welcomed, since they are in front of someone who will not judge you and their pain will be validated”, she explains. Body and mind go hand in hand, comments Nayara. “In anxiety, for example, the body is a response to an attack that starts in the mind. It’s important to connect with the body, not least because these fights happen a lot on the mental level. There is no formula, but rather a quest to find what works for you, ”she comments.

For Isa, the quarantine does not mean that it is okay to put your foot in the jackfruit. “I will not have bad habits because we are in isolation, we have to face this new routine. That’s why I do physical activity whenever possible, mainly running and dancing, and I try to talk to different people”, says the RP, who has also recognized that it is not possible to embrace the world. “I choose the guidelines that I can position myself”.

In addition to therapy and the notifications of some disabled apps, Aretha uses another outlet to stay well. “I’ve been writing a lot in my diary during this quarantine as a way to get out all my anguish”, says the influencer, who is also supported by sharing with her friends. “When I show what I’ve been through, especially in the emotional sphere, it’s because I had to read the reports of other black women to feel welcomed. Now, I am motivated to know that others can tell my story, to see that they are not alone and that many things can be overcome”, comments the teacher.

Nayara points out that, when there is something that collectively violates, the cure also comes from the whole. “Being together and exchanging with your peers are processes that bring a lot of sustainability. Talking to someone who thinks alike generates humanization and even makes us think about strategies together, since when communicating we also organize our thoughts”, concludes the professional.

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