A life that can hold the work: sustaining social justice over time
A small-group lab exploring how to sustain social justice work through energy, health, boundaries and income so you can continue contributing without burning out or relying on limiting systems.
Course Overview
At a time when many people working in social justice are navigating burnout, precarious work and limited funding, a different question begins to emerge:
"How do I stay in this work without burning out, compromising my values or becoming dependent on systems that reward overwork, dependence and compromise?"
By the end of this course, participants will have a clearer understanding of what is actually sustainable for them (and what isn't)!
It draws on lived experience working across both corporate and social impact environments and ongoing work exploring what it takes to sustain meaningful, values-led work within contexts shaped by uncertainty, funding constraints and competing demands.
Rather than offering a fixed system or set of rules, this is a small-group, discussion-based lab focused on experimenting with how we live, work and sustain ourselves over time.
We’ll explore the idea that our ability to contribute to change is shaped not only by our beliefs or skills but by the conditions of our daily lives: our energy, health, boundaries and how we earn a living.
Across the course, we'll explore:
1) Burnout and sustainability
- What actually drives burnout in social justice work and how it's shaped not just by individuals, but by the systems we work within
2) Energy and the body
- How food, movement, rest and daily rhythms influence our capacity to think, act and stay engaged over time
3) Work, income and independence
- How different ways of earning shape autonomy, voice and the ability to act in alignment with our values
4) Boundaries and trade-offs
- What we take on, what we step back from and how we navigate these decisions without guilt
5) Designing everyday life
- How small shifts in how we structure our days and weeks can support more sustainable ways of working and contributing
Each week, participants will be invited to run small, self-directed experiments: testing what supports their energy, focus and alignment and reflecting on what they notice.
This course is not about optimisation or productivity.
It is about exploring (in practice!) what it means to build a way of living that allows you to stay in the work with more clarity, resilience and agency over time.
Who Is This Course For?
- Social impact professionals, activists and organisers
- People experiencing burnout or questioning how to sustain their work
- Freelancers or independent workers navigating purpose-driven careers
- Individuals exploring alternatives to traditional, institution-led pathways
- Anyone seeking a more sustainable relationship between their work, health and values
Curiosity and a willingness to reflect on your own experience are more important than prior expertise.
What You'll Learn
- Develop a clearer understanding of what sustains or depletes their energy in the context of their work
- Explore how health, work and income interact to shape their capacity for long-term impact
- Identify patterns, habits and structures that support or undermine their sustainability
- Experiment with small, self-directed changes to how they live and work
- Leave with a personalised framework for sustaining their work over the next 3–6 months
- Understand sustainability as both structural and personal, not just a matter of individual habits but shaped by the systems we work within.
What's Included
Live Sessions
Interactive classes with your instructor
Session Recordings
Lifetime access to all recordings
Community Access
Connect with fellow learners
Certificate
Proof of course completion
Real-World Project
Throughout the course, participants will engage in a series of small, self-directed experiments, exploring what supports their energy, focus and alignment in daily life. These experiments will form the foundation of a personal sustainability framework, shaped by their own lived experience rather than a prescribed model. At the end of the course, each participant will take part in a short 1:1 integration conversation with the instructor. This conversation will create space to: - Reflect on what they have learned through their experiments - Identify what has shifted in how they think about work, energy, and sustainability - Clarify what they want to carry forward into their daily life Participants will leave with a grounded, personalised approach to sustaining their work and a clearer sense of what supports them in practice
About the Instructor
Helping changemakers sustain their work 🌱
Khawar is a social entrepreneur focused on helping people build lives in social impact that last. He is currently building SOMOS, a platform creating tools to support sustainable, mission-driven work and help people navigate the relationship between energy, income & impact. For many years, he worked in M&A roles across corporate law, insurance and sales while leading Apples & Pears - a grassroots charity in London. The charity supported schools, domestic violence shelters and community groups to run programmes for children and families, reaching over 6,000 participants annually at its peak. He has also worked as an advisor to startups and social enterprises along with serving on non-profit boards. Khawar holds degrees in History and Law, as well as an MBA, and has lived and worked across multiple countries. He is also training to become a NASM-certified Wellness Coach and Pilates instructor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get Notified
Sign up to be notified when registration opens.
Live Online
10 students max
5 sessions
60 min each
