Taking a Break from Saving the World : A Conservation Activist's Journey from Burnout to Balance

A veteran of burnout himself, Legault looks at the culture of self-sacrifice that permeates the work done by volunteers and paid staff in the environmental conservation movement, and dissects how to manage our own time, energy, and commitment to our causes. Following a river-running metaphor, and proposing a variety of techniques to help with various states of anxiety resulting from burnout, including clarity of purpose, recognition of limits, fitness and diet, mediation and yoga, as well as organisational structural changes as such as leave-of-absence policies, Legault encourages readers to find time to eddy out -- to rest a moment in quieter waters and scout downriver -- to endure our lifetime of engagement is fulfilling, effective and self-sustaining. Just as with teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, paramedics, steelworkers, students and airline pilots, burnout is a growing concern in many social-change circles. The book takes a look at the impacts of eco-anxiety, overwork and the associated stress surrounding the present and future of the environment and offers practical and insightful suggestions on how to deal with it.