Some spaces require you to shrink a little. To filter what you say. To simplify what you see. To decide what’s “worth it” to bring up and what isn’t. And over time, that becomes normal. This piece is about what that actually does and what changes when you stop trying to make every space work. If you’ve ever felt like you have to adjust yourself depending on where you are, this will likely land. Read about it here: https://darlenechangemakerhq.substack.com/p/not-every-space-is-built-to-hold?r=5pn6i2

I don’t separate how I live my life from what I stand for. Travel, everyday moments, political awareness, it all exists together. I wrote about that here: https://darlenechangemakerhq.substack.com/p/you-can-carry-a-keffiyeh-and-a-boarding?r=5pn6i2

Since it’s International Women’s Day, I wanted to share another piece from my Substack that connects to what we’ve been talking about here this week. We’ve already talked about how burnout isn’t personal and how some communities drain women instead of supporting them. This article looks at another piece of the puzzle: what burnout actually costs all of us when politically aware women are pushed past their limits. When women who care deeply about justice burn out, movements lose experience, insight, leadership, and momentum. Burnout is not just personal. It is political. Here’s the article: https://darlenechangemakerhq.substack.com/p/what-burnout-costs-us-collectively

Many women who care about justice, community, and social change eventually start asking themselves: “Why am I so exhausted?” The answer is rarely individual failure or poor time management. It is structural. Systems shaped by colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism, and other forms of inequality depend heavily on women carrying invisible labour, emotional responsibility, and moral pressure. Holding communities together.Keeping organizations functioning.Absorbing conflict.Doing the work that often goes unseen. Over time, that accumulation produces burnout. Not because women are weak. Because the systems themselves are unsustainable. I wrote more about this here: Your Exhaustion Is Not Personal: It’s Structural https://open.substack.com/pub/darlenechangemakerhq/p/your-exhaustion-is-not-personal-its If you read it, I would be interested in your thoughts.

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