Fuel yourself, your work & your life with joy
Welcome to the Rest of Activism Membership
The Rest of Activism is a burnout prevention and recovery programme supporting world healers and changers.
With a focus on the climate crisis, but open to all justice-focused activists and organisations, we meet each week with structured online space, workshops and guest speakers to help us…
🌿Wake up with a deep sense of purpose and awe of the world around us every morning.
🌿Grow in fierce love of this world every day, without feeling that the action we take is also taking over our lives.
🌿Finish our days with deep gratitude, even amid all that is uncertain.
The Rest of Activism is your gateway to everything resilience-building.
If your love and passion to bring positive change in the world is is taking it’s toll, we’re here for you.
From mindfulness to nature connection to body work, grief tending, self-compassion, healthy boundaries, community care, coaching techniques and so much more, here you will find the resourcing you need to find balance and restore the deep sense of joy that can lost in the pain we feel for the world.
Maybe you already have practices that support you, perhaps you’ve read some great books or maybe you’ve experienced how powerful it can be to share your grief for the world in community before. But for many of us, this isn’t enough.
For many of us, we need regular resourcing and a supportive community around us, week in, and week out.
If you still wake up hungry for joy, if you struggle to navigate the complex emotions that trying to bring change in the world can bring, or if you’re feeling alone in it all, we invite you to give The Rest of Activism a go.
You can cancel any time, no questions asked.
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“Life changing”
“Profoundly healing”
“The highlight of my year”
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Join us to feel supported, nourished and re-invigorated
If you have a referral discount code, don't forget to use it.
The Rest of Activism membership is for you if…
🌿 You’re working toward social or environmental justice in any capacity— as an activist, professional or human that cares about the world— and you’re feeling the weight of the challenges we face.
🌿 You worry that you’re not doing enough, sometimes feel hardened or cynical toward your fellow humans, struggle to practice self-care or perhaps wonder about giving up on the world altogether.
🌿 You want to restore a sense of deep joy in your life even amid all that is painful, keep your passion for the world burning bright, and connect with others doing the same.
🌿 Perhaps you hold space for others, and you are looking for a space where you yourself can be held, or you’re interested in learning more about how you can support others’ wellbeing.
Give the Rest of Activism a go for weekly live and recorded resilience support, and the opportunity to join a wonderful, international community of like minded people.
Organisational Membership
We also offer membership packages for organisations who want to protect their staff from burnout and eco-anxiety, or contribute to their resilience and wellbeing.
Rest of Activism practicalities…
You can join for up to two live workshops every week, each covering a different aspect of self and communal care, on Wednesdays at 7.30 pm UK time and/ or Thursday at noon UK time.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t make all the sessions, they are designed for to join for as many as works for you. Each session also becomes available afterward as a video recording.
We have members from all over the world- you can find out how these times translate to your time zone here.
In addition to the weekly live calls, when you sign up to The Rest of Activism you’ll also gain access to a whole library of additional resources including over 30 hours of recorded workshop content.
About Our Facilitators…
The Rest of Activism membership facilitators are a collaboration of healers, mentors, guides, authors and coaches from around the world. We each hold one or two of the workshops per month.
Jo Musker-Sherwood
The Rest of Activism Convener
Bidisha Banerjee
Somatic Leadership Coach
Bonita Ford
Facilitator, Speaker & Coach
Jo Walduck
Business, Recovery & Life Coach
LaUra Schmidt
Eco-Distress & Grief Tender
Peter Lefort
Systems & Resilience Facilitator
Selin Nurgün
Somatic Coach, Bodyworker, & Educator
Want to join us?
Are you at risk of burnout?
Many of us start our activism fired up and ready to to make a difference, but over time scary news headlines, overwhelming to do lists, funding pressures and widespread inaction grind us down.
Some of the signs that you’re in need of some support with all your giving out to the world include:
🌿 You’re experiencing anxiety about the state of the world, worrying that what you do isn’t enough and whether you’re doing right by future generations.
🌿 You find yourself hardened to your fellow humans or perhaps struggle to believe we’re truly capable of building a better future.
🌿 You’re in despair, wondering about giving up altogether and finding yourself unable to enjoy all the things you’re fighting so hard to protect.
🌿 You’re feeling guilty, tying yourself in knots about your lifestyle choices, trying to balance the way you love to live with your values.
🌿 You know you love nature, to connect with others or to get creative, but you’re not getting enough time doing the things you love because self-care feels futile in the face of all that is unfolding in the world.
Maybe you’re a professional working from within to help transform our systems. Perhaps you’re an activist, taking to the streets, applying pressure to change-makers or helping folks to organise. Or maybe you’re simply concerned in your capacity as a human that loves the world you live in, trying to do your bit.
If you’re feeling isolated, burned out, or simply heavy at the state of the world, know that you are not alone. Know also that it does not have to be this way.
It is possible to cultivate a life of profound joy, deep purpose and full presence even amid the sorrow of the world’s wounding. And not only that, but doing so is the best chance we have of turning things around.
Is restoring joy amid the sorrows of the world really possible… or even appropriate? Do we really have time for this?
The risk of burnout on a planet that is burning, is high. And if we’re not careful, this is where fear-fuelled activism can easily take us.
These are important motivators, but over time we may find that operating from this place becomes unsustainable and impacts our ability to turn up in the world in the way we want to.
Joy-fuelled activism, on the other hand, enables us to embody sustainability from the inside out.
Joy-fuelled activism puts the very things we are fighting so hard to protect at the heart of everything we do. It reduces our risk of burnout and enables us to live our lives more fully in spite of all that is unravelling in the world with now.
And in so doing our message to the world becomes an irresistible invitation to be part of something beautiful.
By taking time out to restore our joy, we can mitigate the risks of constantly feeling that we are living in survival mode. In other words, The Rest of Activism is here to discover the art of the long-haul journey amid a crisis that would us sprinting every day.
It is my deep conviction that this leads to more resilient, sustainable and effective activism. We cannot cure the various crises we face with the same individualistic, scarcity mindset that led it. Finding our joy is one of the most powerful acts of resistance we can take as activists.
FAQ’s…
When are the weekly meetings and what happens if I can’t make them?
The membership has two weekly live workshops, Wednesdays at 7.30 pm and Thursdays at noon, UK time, for half an hour. The ‘input’ of the sessions (meditation, reflection, exercise, workshop) is recorded and available for you to re-watch or catch up on if you’re not able to make it. We don’t record the discussion part in order to maintain confidentiality.
What if I prefer to do the sessions independently?
The membership is suitable for introvert time also, and works for those that would prefer to skip the discussion and participate on their own; all sessions are recorded and have journal prompts for those doing it independently. You can also dip in and out of the sessions as feels helpful for you; each session is stand alone so you won't be missing out if you miss a few. If you do decide to join the live calls you won’t be required to participate in the discussion groups; you can engage with as much or as little of the content as feels right for you.
Can I join from outside of the UK?
Absolutely. We already have members from both the UK, US, Australia, Norway, Germany, France and Canada and other members from all around the world are very welcome. Simply find out how ‘noon UK time’ translates into your own time zone, and join us for the live sessions. If the sessions don’t work for your time zone, please get in touch with me here to discuss.
What if I want to join but I’m already part of an environmental organisation?
This current membership offer is for anyone who is engaging with environmental issues and could not otherwise receive this kind of wellbeing support. So, even if you are employed to work on environmental issues as a professional, if you’re employer is not providing this kind of support you are still very welcome to join. If you think your employer would be interested in providing this kind of support— and perhaps even for others in your organisation— please get in touch with me here to find out more.
What if I want to join but don’t consider myself an ‘activist’?
I have a very loose understanding of the word activism. It is my understanding that activism is more of a personal identity than something we do. If you care about the planet, if you’re hurting because the planet is hurting and if you want to see that change— even if you don’t have capacity to do much about that right now— then you are very welcome in this membership.
Who else is in the membership?
The membership has been piloted for the past year with a range of professional climate activists from some of the UK’s most influential environmental NGOs. Now that the Rest of Activism is open to the general public, our community is growing so that membership will be a mixture of professional and grassroots activists, and members of the general public. We’ll be a diverse community from across the world with a whole range of perspectives, insights and experiences. If you’ve any questions about whether you feel you’re a good fit for the membership, you are very welcome to get in touch with me here to discuss.
How much will I be expected to share from my own feelings and experiences?
There’s absolutely no obligation to share anything within the membership that you don’t want to share. This isn’t group therapy and you will not be asked to take a deep dive into your emotions or experiences unless you want to. If you want mainly to listen, your presence exactly as you are is welcome. If you want to share, your contribution in that way is welcome too.
If, through your involvement in the Rest of Activism or at any point generally, you realise that you are in need of therapeutic support please take a look at the Climate Psychology Alliance’s website that has a comprehensive list of climate-informed therapists and which offers three therapy sessions for free. This resource is aimed at people in the UK, US and Canada but does not exclude those from other countries.
What if I want to cancel my membership?
You can cancel your membership at any time and without giving any notice. Simply go to the members area and cancel— no questions asked.