Self-Care for Anti-Racist Leaders

This blog series follows our recent webinar 'Driving Change: Anti-Racist Leadership Strategies' with Lou Chiu and Sohini Petrie. Lou and Sohini shared incredible insights into what anti-racist leadership actually looks like in practice.

We’ve broken down their insights into three practical blogs that cover what anti-racist leadership actually means, how to embed it when resources are tight, and how to sustain yourself in the work. 

Lou Chiu recently shared her experience during a rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric: 

"I personally found myself struggling more than I realised. I was beating myself up for not feeling productive or engaged until a colleague reached out and asked if I was okay. Having that space to process helped me recognise what was actually happening: I was genuinely scared." 

So what can we do as anti-racist leaders when the world feels overwhelming? 

Acknowledge That Big Emotions Are Real 

When we're busy dealing with day-to-day priorities, it's hard to recognise that we're holding feelings mentally, emotionally, and physically. But if we keep bottling them up, we put our bodies and mental health into survival mode. 

That's when overwhelm, anxiety, and paralysis kick in. 

Lou shared that she had worked with a white middle-class client recently who was in tears because she was scared for the people she cares about who are affected by what's happening. This work impacts all of us, regardless of our identity or proximity to harm. 

Focus on What You Can Actually Impact 

When things feel huge, they will feel overwhelming. So ask yourself: 

• What am I in charge of in my part of the world? 

• What do I have influence over? 

• What can I change right now? 

  
  

You can't fix systemic racism single-handedly. But you can change how your team runs meetings. You can rethink your recruitment process. You can check in on a colleague. 

Start with what's within your sphere of control. 

Think Relay Race, Not Solo Marathon 

Lou shared her belief that allyship is about turning a marathon into a relay race. When you're feeling overwhelmed as someone not in the direct path of harm, you often have more resources in that moment than somebody who's being targeted.

That's when you need to step up and be braver, be more disruptive. And when you need to rest, pass the baton to someone else in your community. 

We agree that this is one of the most important mindset shifts for sustainable anti-racist leadership. 

The Power of Pausing 

This sounds completely counterintuitive when you're overwhelmed, but you've got to slow down. You've got to find places and spaces to pause. 

As Sohini reminded us in our recent webinar, pausing is an essential leadership skill:

‘Even if it's just five minutes, micro-pauses done with intention can have significant impact. Just dropping in and checking on how you're doing, checking on your internals, because your internal state needs to be in good condition to meet all the external storms’. 

Simple Practices That Work 

Sohini shared some beautiful grounding practices: 

Humming. which connects your nervous system almost instantly to a time when you were a baby being rocked by someone who loved you. 

Watching clouds for five minutes. Just being present without doing anything. 

The specific practice matters less than making the space to pause. 

This Isn't Indulgent. It's Resistance. 

Self-care isn't separate from anti-racist leadership practice. It's part of your resistance. 

If you're burnt out, you can't show up. If you're in survival mode, you can't be strategic. If you're overwhelmed, you can't hold space for others. 

Taking care of yourself isn't taking away from doing the work. It's what makes the work sustainable. 

Build Your Resilience Practices 

As Sohini shared, some people find strength and are nourished by drawing on activists' work such as Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, and resistance music. 

Others need to disconnect. We weren't meant to be bombarded second-by-second by so much harm. 

Find what works for you. Some options to explore: 

• Daily check-ins with yourself about your emotional state 

• Community spaces with like-hearted people who energise you 

• Boundaries around news consumption and social media 

• Physical practices like walking, stretching, or dancing 

• Creative outlets that let you process without words 

• Professional support through supervision or therapy 

You'll get things wrong. Many times. It will be disheartening. But knowing that can actually be comforting in a way as it takes some of the pressure off being perfect. 

Develop resilience practices so you can renew yourself. Remember, this is a relay race. Rest when you need to. Run when you can. 

Your Work Matters 

This is community work that none of us can do alone. Find communities of like-hearted people who you can draw inspiration and strength from. Share the load. Celebrate small wins. Process the hard stuff together. When you're struggling, reach out. When someone else is struggling, reach out to them. This reciprocal support is what keeps all of us going. 

There's enough energy, movement, and impetus from people right now to create transformative change. 

Your leadership matters. Your commitment matters. Your willingness to keep going despite the overwhelm matters. And taking care of yourself so you can sustain this work?

That matters most of all. 

At Atkinson HR, we help organisations reduce workplace harm and build psychologically safe, inclusive environments. If you'd like to explore how to embed anti-racist leadership in your organisation, we'd love to talk. 

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