After the results of the 2024 European elections were announced, many people were shocked. The political situation is causing despair. How can we feel less powerless through engagement?
The feeling of powerlessness is great. Especially now, after the European elections. We can (unfortunately) no longer change the worrying results – but we can do better and at least feel less powerless. Because we live in a democracy in which we are offered many opportunities to participate. Anyone who feels helpless can therefore become politically active.
It is important that you are aware of how much you can and want to achieve before you start. We humans have limited resources and to make the most of yours, you should look at the different forms of activism and decide for yourself which one you want to pursue. Some of them can be combined, while others are more engaging.
Everyday activism
The quickest way we can get involved is to live our values every day. This includes, among other things, seeking confrontation with people around us. If you hear a homophobic or racist joke, you should address it and make it clear that you will not tolerate inappropriate humor. This confrontation can be uncomfortable, but it is often worth it. It may make the other person reflect on their own behavior.
Another way is to take a look at your own behavior. If you are interested in climate protection, for example, you can consider where you could live more frugally. In addition, it is of course advisable to regularly question and adapt your own behavior as well as your use of language. Perhaps you yourself use words with a problematic background without knowing it. The only important thing is how we deal with it and that we do not close ourselves off to further development.
Demos, volunteer work, etc.
If you want to invest more time and energy, you can get involved in various campaigns. The easiest way to find these is to search on the Internet. There you will find information about demonstrations, campaigns for climate or animal protection and much more. If you are interested in getting involved regularly and in the long term, you can also do volunteer work. Here you can help people and actively work on a problem that concerns you personally.
Of course, it is also possible to go into politics yourself. You can either get involved in a political party doing odd jobs or even try to get into local politics. The former has the smaller hurdle and could therefore be your first step if you are looking to work as a politician. If you want to do something for democracy in general but don’t feel like you belong to a party, you can also support them in elections, for example. A final option is to contact parties or politicians directly and explain to them objectively what is currently bothering you in politics.
Whichever option you choose, you should always make sure that you act within the framework of our laws. Abusive or violent behavior is counterproductive to your political aspirations.
Activism on the Internet
In addition to analogue involvement, you can also get involved online from the comfort of your own home. You can share, like and comment on content on your preferred social network. There are often a lot of discussions in comment sections, especially when it comes to a controversial topic. But here it is particularly important that you keep calm and do not tend to become abusive, as many others do.
If you want to start your own petition, you can also create it online and combine it with sharing content on social media. After all, it has never been easier to reach many people than it is today. Signing petitions and appeals is also made much easier by the internet. So you don’t necessarily have to be one of the creators to participate in the principle.
Whether analogue or online, getting involved often means being regularly confronted with problems that are not going away any time soon. We ourselves can only ever contribute a very small part or even have to watch as the situation worsens despite our efforts. This can be stressful for the psyche. That’s why it’s important that you, as an activist, pay attention to your mental health.
Five tips to help you reduce stress when working
1. Establish a control body
You can ask the people around you to pay attention or ask them for a reality check. If they tell you that enough is enough, you should take a break from what you are doing.
2. Ask for and accept help
You should be open about your challenges in your social environment. If you don’t say that you are overwhelmed or frustrated with a task, you won’t be able to get the support you need.
3. Activism is not everything
It’s important to remember that you are more than what you stand for. Being an activist is good, but it shouldn’t be all that defines your life. So still allow yourself to have a private life and to have interests, needs and goals outside of your work.
4. You are not the only person
Remember that you are working with others. Often the problems that people take action against are so big that they cannot solve them alone. Therefore, always remember: “I am not alone. I do not have to and cannot do everything alone.”
5. Don’t overdo it
To avoid losing track or becoming overwhelmed, you should try to concentrate on one thing or one area. It is not efficient to work on ten projects at the same time. You should instead think about what is important to you and concentrate on that.
Sources used: Politische-bildung-brandenburg.de, praxistipps.focus.de, campact.de, verywellmind.com