Walkouts and protests are incredible events of solidarity and excellent fodder not only for the change that's needed, but for growing the community joy and hope that will sustain us.

While I've written before about different ways to support community movements with an herbal focus including joining your local mutual aid effort or training as a street medic (you can find a ton of resources on my Calls to Action & Community Resources page), I wanted to focus on what we do after the march, the action, or the night spent protesting.

There are lots of guides out there all about attending a protest, what to bring, and how to protect yourself and your fellow protestors - which you should definitely read - but I wanted to share some of my after the protest tips which include the practical, the energetic, and the herbal.

The following is not an endlessly detailed treatise on aftercare, but is meant to be something that folks can read a day or even a few hours before a protest and feel like they can do a few simple things ahead of time to make their lives easier. My hope with my aftercare suggestions is to help you develop practices that reduce burnout and sustainably support your ability to be a thriving activist in your community for the long run. Solidarity, friends!

Before You Go To The Protest

Things That'll Make It Easier When You Get Home

While it isn't always possible to plan ahead - because sometimes we just need to get out into the streets - when you are able to it can make coming home after a protest that much easier.

Make Food & Rest Easy

If you can, have a plan for what you're going to eat when you get home. The length of a protest or march can be unpredictable and can involve a lot of mental and physical energy (including making a lot of little decisions throughout the event), so reduce post-protest decision making when you can. Know that you have leftovers ready to go, your favorite easy to prepare food stocked or where you'll be grabbing food with fellow protestors on the way home. Nourishing your body after a protest is key to longevity as an activist, so when able, make a decision about food ahead of time instead of when you're likely to feel too tired to do so after an action.

Cut Down on Contaminants

If you think you're likely to encounter chemical weapons at an event (including tear gas and pepper spray), put a plastic bag right by your front door so that you can easily take off contaminated clothes and isolate irritants right away.

Sensory Support

Protests and marches can be sensory-intense environments and whether or not you have sensory issues, doing things before you leave like setting out clean, comfortable clothes to change into when you get home or knowing that your favorite cozy spot to sit and decompress is free of mess are little practices that add up to big support (and we'll talk about herbal support below). A protest is a big thing - honor your body's need to adjust after that big thing it just did - what an act of love!

A few more tips

✏️ Write down the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild on your body with non-washable marker for your own use or to support other protestors.

🩹 Carry a small first aid kit with extra bandages and medicated wipes to help your fellow protestors with simple injuries.

🥁 Small noisemakers are great! Choose your classic whistle or shake it up with a harmonica (laughter is important fuel for any protest) or kazoo.

After the Protest: The Elements of Activist Longevity

🔥 Fire: Feed Yourself
Support the digestive fires of your body with food that you want to eat, adding in nutritious extras as you feel able to, and honoring all that your body has done in the world today.

💧 Water: Hydrate
Support the rivers of your body with water, herbal teas, coconut water, or rehydrating sports drinks, either adding them too or choosing them instead of more stimulating drink choices, honoring the waters of life that flow through you.

🌿 Earth: Rest
Support the land of your body with rest, turning off unnecessary updates, getting cosy, moving and breathing in ways that help you feel settled, and honoring the rich soil of possibility that exists within you.

🦋 Air: Connect With Your Community
Support the breath of your body with nourishing kinship, whether checking in with fellow protestors to make sure they got home, calling your friends, chatting with your partner(s), connecting with your elders, mentors, and mental health support, texting your family (chosen or otherwise), and honoring the breath of life shared between all of us.

Plant Allies for After the Protest

Disclaimer: Plants are not replacements for medical care and all information herein is for educational purposes only. If you've been injured at a protest or exposed to chemical weapons like tear gas or pepper spray, you're encouraged to seek out a health practitioner to support you. Part of being a protestor is knowing when to ask for help and reaching out to the generosity of the community you're helping to create! We got each other!

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The first few herbs are ones that you're more likely to find in tea blends at a standard grocery (rather than a natural foods market or coop) and then I list out herbs that are common within western herbalism, but need to be sought out.

The following plant allies are considered generally safe for the general population, but be sure to look up contraindications or work with your health practitioner before working with herbs especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, are on medication or have health concerns.

Herbs with '⭐️' next to them support respiratory help if you've been exposed to chemical weapons (CW), and should be used as tea or herbal steam after you've cleaned yourself thoroughly.

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Prepare the following herbs like tea - either one teabag or 1 heaping teaspoon per cup of water and steeped for 10 - 15 minutes.

⭐️ Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): One of my favorite digestive tonics for folks whose indigestion has been caused by a disruption to their day - which is what a protest or march is. Helps with Sleep. Other indications include general crankiness, gas, digestive cramps, and feeling like you need help "digesting" or processing everything you're feeling.

⭐️ Peppermint (Mentha piperita): A great circulatory tonic, Peppermint helps to calm us when we need to rest or energize us when we need to get moving. The herb supports the immune system and can be especially useful if your action took place indoors where you might have been exposed to more germs than you're used to.

⭐️ Lavender (Lavandula spp.): For mental and physical restlessness that is making it hard for you to decompress after an action, Lavender is a beautiful nervous system tonic. Helps with sleep. Indications include overstimulation, agitation, nervousness, and insomnia.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale): A great all around post-protest herb, helping to reduce inflammation from all the extra walking, chanting or physical activity, as well as helping protect against colds. In addition to tea, Ginger makes a great bath herb or compress for pain.

Milky Oat (Milky Oat): My favorite tonic for the nervous system, Milky Oat is calming, grounding, and centering. It is a wonderful way to help re-center after the noise and motion of a protest.

⭐️ Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): Mullein moistens the airways and can be a very useful herb if you've been exposed to CWs. Mullein is often present in "throat coat" and "cold care" tea blends that you might be able to find at your local grocer. Throat coat style blends can be great for post CW care.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): If you find yourself with a busy mind and are struggling to settle down after a protest, Skullcap is a great plant to work with. Another great rest and sleep aid. Indications include overwork, exhaustion with hyperactivity (e.g. having trouble settling down), and brain fog.

Additional herbs to consider: Calendula (Calendula officinalis) as a salve or herbal oil for helping clean skin heal after CW exposure. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) to help the body process and release CWs. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on its own or in haldi doodh (golden milk blend) for inflammation from injury. Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) and/or Rose (Rosa spp.) to alleviate the emotional strain of protesting. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) or California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) to help with getting to and staying asleep.

Recipes

☕️ Bliss Blend remains a perennial favorite for grounding and centering after a period of intensity.

🫖 My Tea for the Tired post offers three different recipes:

Gentle Buzz: For those struggling with social burnout, a tea to help settle the nervous system and help us feel connection without overwhelm.
Lush Cloud: For those needing a soft place to land and looking to restore their sleep cycles after a period of stress.
Wellspring: For those whose creativity or hope feels dulled by chronic stress, a tea blend to help refill the well of inspiration.

🌻 For practitioners looking to support their community and folks wanting more resources, I wrote a series on herbal practices for highly sensitive folks that is essentially a guide to taking care of our nervous system and sensory practices that help us reduce overwhelm. The necessity of large-scale protests means that we're all swimming through intense times where extra attention to our nervous system and sensory environment will benefit us in the long run, so you might find these simple suggestions useful.

Additional Resources

Calls to Action & Community Resources
For more in-depth guides to mutual aid, herbal street medicine and clinics, becoming an constitutional observer, and more

Preparing for, Protecting Against, and Treating Tear Gas and Other Chemical Irritant Exposure: A Protestor’s Guide
~ Physician's for Human Rights ~

So You Got Teargassed? Herbal Self-Care After Exposure to Chemical Weapons
~ Missy Rohs ~

Read This When Things Fall Apart: Letters to Activists in Crisis
~ Kelly Hayes ~

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I hope you found my quick guide to after the protest useful and that it inspires you to think about the ways that you can support yourself and your community as we work together for a more just, more kind world.

And, if you were wondering why I included images of quilts for this post, I wanted to represent not only how we’re all stitched together in this, but to celebrate the often invisible but essential work of women - tireless quilters of community - that are behind so much organizing. Blessed be the quiltmakers & the peacemakers!

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

All Together Now! An Herbalist’s Guide to After the Protest