Reckoning with the Ugly Truth: Mass Extinction
As Kansas City native Briana Anderson progressed though her Wildlife Biology program in college, she started to realize something was fundamentally wrong: “Every species I studied was in danger of extinction. Every habitat I read about was being degraded, destroyed, plowed over, converted, burned, flooded, or polluted. Everything I loved was being mistreated by humans.”
While her dream was to become an international wildlife researcher, Briana realized she couldn’t just travel the world, studying endangered species. No – she had to actively work to protect wildlife as an activist.
The Dead-End of Climate Anxiety
Upon finishing graduate school, Briana felt a looming responsibility to fix the climate crisis she found herself all-too-aware of. Seeing like-minded peers paralyzed by despair, Briana sent herself into a frenzy of research to understand how she could make a change. She consumed all the knowledge she could about climate activism, zero waste lifestyles, and how to prevent the mass extinction crisis. In Briana’s mind, she had to do it all, because the world (quite literally) depended on it.
The more she learned, the more Briana felt isolated in her activism, crushed by all the species already lost, and unequipped to deal with the overwhelm that began to cloud her days. Around this time, she started attending The Resilient Activist’s Climate Cafés: community events where people discuss their emotional experiences within the climate crisis. “That community became so important to me. It felt like – wow, these are people who really get it,” Briana explained.
Finding Community Through the Despair
Soon enough, Briana was attending other Resilient Activist programming, including the “Four Steps for a Resilient Life” workshop. There she began to understand she would work herself to the bone if she continued trying to do it all, and then she wouldn’t be of any help to the endangered species she was trying to protect. Through the Four Steps teachings, Briana realized her efforts would be the most sustainable and effective if she focused on what she loved from the start: wildlife conservation.
Reconfiguring Activism to Reflect Self-Care
“The amount of activism I do these days seems less than what I used to do, but now I have the energy and time to truly dedicate myself, put my heart into it, and find joy in it,” Briana explained.
Through clarifying what aspect of activism was most uplifting to her, Briana found her work to be replenishing instead of draining.
“Over the past few years, I have learned so much from The Resilient Activist – the power of mindfulness, the path to joyful resilience, and strategies to cope in a healthy manner.”
Unexpected Outcomes
Through her exposure to The Resilient Activist’s programming, community support, and resiliency tools, Briana’s activism and mental health has transformed in a myriad of ways. She feels more equipped to make lasting environmental change by focusing on what she loves, maintaining perspective, and balancing her efforts with the nourishment they require. Moreover, the insights Briana gleaned have seeped into other aspects of her life, bolstering her overall emotional resiliency when life has been more struggle than joy.
“This past year, the tools I learned from The Resilient Activist really helped me get through [trauma] in a healthy way. Because if it had been years ago, or if I hadn’t had those tools, I can see myself spiraling into really unhealthy coping mechanisms – but I didn’t,” Briana explained.
“And that’s just one example of how it’s not just about being an environmental activist. The Resilient Activist’s programming can help us better respond to the struggles of life in general. This group can be so helpful for everybody – whether you see yourself as an activist or not.”
