Joy as Resistance: How We Stay Engaged Without Burning Out

by Marissa Bracke

I don’t need to tell you that we’re living through challenging times. You may feel the weight of tragic news. You may struggle to stay engaged without feeling fatigue or overwhelm set in.

You are not alone. And that weariness is not the end of the story.

The real question is this: how do we care deeply without losing ourselves? 

Joy is not a distraction.

“Not surprisingly, the idea of claiming joy often seems like a distraction from what is truly pressing in life.”
—Shamillah Wilson

Remaining hopeful, humane, and whole requires joy. 

Embracing joy right now is not irresponsible or naive. It is not denial, disengagement, or indifference.

“Joy is not escapism. It is an act of refusal: a refusal to let despair be the final word.”
—Roger Berkowitz

Suffering is not required.

Let’s dismantle a common misconception: Perpetual despondency is not proof of moral seriousness.

Staying informed and engaged does not require your suffering. Despair is not depth, and misery is not commitment.

“[W]e also have to pay attention to joy. Otherwise we will spiral into despair. The world does not need people in despair.”
—Karen Walrond

Suffering is not a prerequisite for integrity. It doesn’t show loyalty to a cause, and joy doesn’t indicate betrayal.

Joy, in fact, is part of thriving activism.

Joy is a form of resistance.

“Joy is not a frivolous distraction from the real work of social change; it’s a vital force.”
—JM Heatherly

“Joy, then, is not a distraction. It is defiance. It is how we refuse to surrender our humanity. In this sense, joy is revolutionary.”
—Roger Berkowitz

Oppressive systems thrive on exhaustion, hopelessness, and isolation. Joy disrupts all three. These systems rely on people giving up quietly. Joy makes people harder to wear down.

“Joy is a sign of vibrant life, of thriving. It is one of the things that makes us truly human. So depriving a group of people of joy, whether through an outright ban, or the denigration or shaming of their sources of pleasure, or through economic means, is a method of dehumanization. Reclaiming those sources of joy is a way to refuse to be dehumanized, to reassert our vitality.”
—Ingrid Fetell Lee

Think of how joy is expressed: it’s present during shared meals, in our music, in our laughter. We find it in celebrations, rituals, and in community moments that remind us that we aren’t alone.

What keeps us human also keeps us engaged. Joy builds connection—and connection is harder to erode than outrage is to exhaust.

Joy is not “extra.” It makes movements sustainable.

There is a simple, practical reason joy is integral to movements for justice: it keeps people in the work.

Burnout is not a personal failure. It is a predictable outcome of sustained engagement without replenishment. It’s what happens when movements rely solely on urgency, anger, and sacrifice until they eventually and inevitably fatigue the very people they depend on.

As JM Heatherly writes, “Movements fueled by joy are inherently more sustainable.” Joy replenishes energy. It strengthens resolve. It makes long-term commitment actually doable. 

Ingrid Fetell Lee points out that shared joy doesn’t just feel good; it creates real bonds. When people sing, move, celebrate, or create together, they become connected. They also become more generous, and more willing to act for the good of the group. And a connected community is harder to fragment, easier to sustain, and far more difficult to dominate.

Joy, in other words, is not a break from the work. It is a necessary part of how the work survives.

But is it really okay to feel joy when so much is wrong?

Injustice persists, and suffering is real.

And it’s true: Joy does not erase what is heavy. It sits beside it. And it reminds us what we’re protecting.

Because if we make suffering and injustice the only acceptable measures of our attention, we shrink our existence to the boundaries of those shadows.

Our lives are not so small.

Joy does not need to be earned.

Celebrate the small, real moments. Let yourself enjoy what is good without apology. Notice what restores you and others—and then share it widely. 

You do not have to “earn” joy, either with suffering or with perfection. Joy is your right as a human and is sustenance for the work you most care about.

Joy is a declaration: numbness will not be our default. Despair will not be our legacy. We will not quietly give up. We will remain present and connected.