The “Third Breath” of a Nation: How to Survive a War That Lasts Longer Than We Can

Source: Author’s Facebook page

We were expecting a marathon, but it turned out to be endless duty in the hospital, trenches, chatter, anxiety. We are entering a stage of war when exhaustion becomes not an episode, but the basis of existence. When we again have to answer ourselves the question: how to live on, knowing that “onwards” is not yet peace.

Our army is at the front. But the rear is also in formation. Only different weapons: endurance, responsibility, support. And it is here that we, as a society, face a paradox: we are simultaneously tired – but we also have no right to be tired. Both those who are at the front and those who are in the rear.

When a politician goes on vacation, it’s a scandal. When there are no tickets at the theater, it causes outrage. When someone smiles in a swimsuit photo, it’s perceived as betrayal.

But this is the false optics of war. And it is leading us to disaster.

No, war does not require the exhaustion of society.

War is not a regime of the Holy Inquisition, where happiness is forbidden and rest is a crime. We do not have a luxurious alternative: either survive physically or burn out morally.

Because in reality, war is not even a marathon, but a triathlon without a finish line. And in such a race, it is not the strongest who survives, but the one who knows how to alternate stress with recovery.

Ukrainian society is living on its third breath. The first ended in 2022. The second – in the summer of 2023. Now we are drawing from the last reserve. And it is not surprising that those who have been keeping the line from the first days – at the front, in the rear, in volunteering, in the public sector – are the ones who are burning out the most. Those who have not broken down, but are losing themselves.

We need to organize ourselves as a “watch society.” We need a social discipline of recovery. A conventional “watch” is when some hold the line of defense, others strengthen their capabilities, and still others rest.

This is not weakness, but a model of survival in a long war. We must give ourselves the right to theaters, water parks, cinema and laughter – without betraying the front. Because war does not prohibit life, it threatens it.

And recovery is a mandatory contribution to resilience. And yes, in the army too. Instead of reproaches, there are rules for distributing the load.

The social agreement should not look like: “either everyone works without rest, or everyone is in the Maldives, or everyone is at the front.” It should be both in the army and in the rear according to the principle: someone is in position, someone is in reserve, someone is in the hospital. But everyone is in service.

A minister’s vacation is not a problem if it is part of the system, not a privilege. A volunteer’s vacation is not a betrayal if he returns to work after it. A soldier’s vacation is our common need and responsibility.

If we want to survive not only to victory, but to a new life after it, we must begin to understand the value of a resource – human.

Being resilient doesn’t always mean being on the front lines. It also means not letting the front lines be left alone.

We will still have many battles. And many stages of this war. But if we allow ourselves to burn out collectively, no “Tamahavas” will help us. In a war of attrition, not only armies on the battlefield compete, but also social systems. Such a war is won not only with iron, but also with the pulse of the nation. The best organized in the long run – takes victory. Whoever “overexerts himself” – defeat.

And that’s why our third breath is not our last. If we learn to take care of ourselves, there will be a fourth.

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