How to Cope with Political Anxiety
With the recent political changes of the new president, many people are facing political anxiety and stress. These feelings of anxiety and stress intensify as we are continuously flooded with pieces of new legislation and executive orders that directly impact us. For this reason, I have created a list of ways we can cope with this political anxiety and stress.
5 Ways To Cope with Political Anxiety
1.📍Meet yourself where you’re at
First and foremost, acknowledge how fucked up it all is. The political moves of our federal and even state government are leaning into facism. And that’s sad, scary, and exhausting! We are being overwhelmed, strategically, so it makes sense we feel hopeless.
But while things feel hopeless, they are not! Many people, yourself included, truly care about change. Which is why it’s important, now more than ever, to meet yourself where you’re at. This means being gentle and patient with yourself if you need to rest, slow down, take a pause, and recharge. I’ve heard many folks feel guilt and shame that they’re “not doing more” every single day. But meet yourself where you’re at.
If you need to rest or pause, do it. Rest is an act of revolution. If we allow ourselves to rest, we are reclaiming our bodies from a system that wants to use us until we are empty. Rest is refusing to believe that our worth is tied to how much we produce, how much we endure, how much we sacrifice. Rest is saying: I deserve to exist beyond struggle.
2. 🤝Lean into Community
You are not alone. Many people feel the same way you do about the current state of our government. But much like the ants in the movie A Bug’s Life, there is strength and power in numbers. Lean into community. They can be a reminder that we are not alone. They can help us move into joy, connection, and empowerment. It can be political group or a social group or both. As long as you’re with people who make you feel connected, you are leaning into community.
If you struggle with how to connect with community, you may find this post helpful.
3. 🎡Balance joy and current events
Staying up to date with news can help us stay informed. But have you noticed that constantly taking in the news can lead to those feelings of overwhelm and anxiety? This is the aim of the current administration, and it’s working. But I’m not saying turn off the news completely and remain unaware. Instead, find a balance between current events and joy/rest.
Joy in times like these is not pointless or ignorant. It is not an ‘escape.’ It is a quiet but powerful resistance. It is the laughter that reminds us we are still human. It does not erase our grief or our rage—it sits beside them, offering a glimmer of what is still possible.
4. ✊Advocate to empower
Should you have sufficient moments of rest and joy, and you are ready to take actionable steps to being an advocate, create a plan of advocacy. By advocating in causes that matter to us, we can create change and feel empowered and hopeful that our actions have a ripple effect. This plan can include options such as:
Contact your representatives
Learn more about community organizing
Get involved in local government
Read books/articles about a particular topic you are passionate about
Sign up for a library card and support your local public library
Write opinion pieces in publishing outlets or social media
Volunteer for grassroots organizations
Replace your bank accounts with credit union accounts
Attend peaceful protests and marches to causes that matter to you
Hold conversations with others about current events
And so much more
Consider adding options that are small scale and large scale to account for your differing energy levels and know you can always take space as needed (see previous 3 points).
5. 🪷Consider therapy that feels aligned
And last but certainly not least, consider working with therapists that validate your concerns and align with you politically. This can be detrimental to feeling empowered and understood in a time of such uncertainty. It is a crucial time to find a therapist who can recognize the current political climate and the impact on racial minorities, LGBTQIA+ (and especially trans folks), individuals with disabilities, individuals impacted by reproductive legislation, immigrants, and so much more.
We at Belonging Counseling recognize such an impact and hope to support our clients’ and our community’s mental health and wellbeing. If you are interested in matching with such a therapist, feel free to reach out to us.
