During the recent NAMI New Hampshire Annual Conference, the NAMI Next Gen NH ambassadors, a group of advocates ages 18 to 25, opened up about the realities of mental health advocacy while navigating college, work, and their own wellbeing. Each ambassador shared how firsthand experiences ignited their passion for mental health awareness, from early encounters with anxiety to award winning expressive arts projects, campus initiatives, suicide prevention programs, and speaking engagements across the region. Their stories highlighted a common truth: advocates are whole people with their own struggles, and the work they do is deeply intertwined with lived experience.
A central message of the webinar was the importance of “putting your seatbelt on first,” the idea that advocates must protect their own wellbeing before they can sustainably support others. The group discussed moments when advocacy felt heavy, especially while managing personal loss, academic pressure, or reduced emotional capacity. They emphasized that stepping back is not failure, it’s necessary. Through concepts like compassion fatigue, caregiver guilt, and impostor syndrome, the ambassadors illustrated how emotional labor accumulates, and how intentional selfcare, honest communication, and realistic boundaries are essential. True selfcare, they noted, isn’t bubble baths alone; it’s sleep, nourishment, movement, mindful social media use, and allowing oneself to feel the impact of challenging work.
The conversation closed with a strong reminder that sustainable advocacy depends on balance, boundaries, and community. The ambassadors spoke about redefining strength, not as endless availability, but as knowing when to pause, ask for help, or say no. They described early warning signs of burnout, such as irritability, difficulty disconnecting, or guilt around rest, and encouraged advocates to build supportive networks and recognize their own needs. NAMI Next Gen NH hopes to model transparency, reduce stigma, and empower others to care for their own mental health while caring for their communities. Their message is simple but powerful: advocacy lasts longer and reaches further when the advocates themselves are supported and well.
Tune into the NAMI NH YouTube Channel to view their conference session.