Caring for Yourself During a Political Dumpster Fire

Emotional strain, stress, and worries have been soaring between a genocide, the 2024 election season, several natural disasters, and the most recent presidential inauguration. It can feel hard or impossible to take space from news reporting and the polarizing nature of social media. You may even feel guilty about taking space if you aren’t directly affected by these current events or disasters. These events feel scary or infuriating, and you find yourself experiencing emotional swings and reactivity whenever you see a news clip. Over time, exposure to chronic stress will unravel your nervous system and you may wonder why you feel so intensely about events that have little impact on your personal life. Daily, your life is the same, but emotionally, you feel like a mess. 

The reason you feel so much about these events is because they have a deeper meaning for you. You feel the collective pain of people who are defenseless against the powers that be, you feel a sense of rage at the dehumanization of people close and far from you, and you feel helpless to do anything to help those who have lost their homes and belongings. You’re also worried about when it will end, and how long until this chaos makes direct contact with you.

Turning inward to care for yourself may feel like a selfish move when so many are suffering, but objectively, it's a useful and compassionate starting point. Taking care of yourself is sometimes all you can do when your nervous system is in overdrive. If you feel a wave of self-judgment come over you for selfishly choosing to care for yourself, I want to remind you that you also require care, and you are also hurting. It can be challenging to try and jump into action when your nervous system has gone through the wringer for so long, and you feel frozen.

So what can you do to get unstuck? 

1. Identify and Validate Your Emotions

Take a quiet moment to identify what you are experiencing, and notice what your body is feeling. What emotion is that sensation in your chest? Could that be fear, grief, anger, compassion? Write down what you are noticing without judgment and an explanation, just let your feelings be what they are. Being able to identify and name your emotions is the beginning of allowing them to process and metabolize, which will help you get unstuck. If you’re lucky enough to have a therapist, they can guide you through this process.

2. Process Underlying Fears or Triggers

Political stress often taps into deeper fears or unresolved experiences, such as feeling powerless, unsafe, or unheard. Think of the first time you remember feeling this way. I suspect that you have a personal experience that is connected to what is currently happening. Therapies like EMDR are super helpful in reprocessing the memories or beliefs tied to current events. This will help you feel less overwhelmed by what is coming up on your news feed and more empowered to take action.

3. Find a Sense of Calm

Hopefully, you already have activities or practices that help you feel grounded and reduce stress. If you don’t, it’s time to get some. Without strategies to manage stress, you will burn out from emotional exhaustion. For some people, this may feel like second nature and you can easily identify what activities are calming in your life. For others, you have less experience with feeling calm and you aren’t sure how to create that feeling in your life. Get started by accessing resources on mindfulness techniques, grounding exercises, or thinking strategies to help you stay present and manage distress. If you don’t have a therapist, check out your local library, mindfulness podcasts, YouTube, or meetup groups.

4. Set Boundaries Around Media Consumption

This is so important! Overexposure to political news can heighten anxiety and a sense of helplessness. It also detracts from the time you have to spend caring for your nervous system. Create a balanced plan to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed, such as limiting news consumption to specific times of day, cleaning up your algorithm, and deleting apps from your phone.

5. Focus on What You Can Control

Most people feel powerless when it comes to political stress. In many ways, we are powerless, but not in every way. Taking action can reduce anxiety and increase a sense of empowerment. Stop handing over your power and mental health to the current leader or villain on TV. Only you can choose to look away and take a beat to do something supportive for yourself or your cause. Brainstorm and map out actionable steps, like engaging in advocacy, joining community groups, or volunteering for a cause you care about.

6. Explore Values and Beliefs

I assume that very few people take the time to clarify what their values and beliefs are, but we all notice when current events lead to internal conflict and distress. Get curious and clear with yourself about what your values are and align your actions with them. This can lower emotional dissonance and foster a sense of integrity and purpose. A great way to start is to notice your internal response when you see a news clip. If it gives you a yucky feeling, you know that there is a conflict with your value system. Use a journal to process and write out your thoughts and feelings until your values or beliefs are clear.

7. Address Polarization in Relationships

All human beings crave connection and we often find that in our relationships. Political differences can strain these relationships, which creates additional stress. As a therapist, this is one of the most challenging things to coach someone through, especially because I’m only working with one person in the relationship. You can learn strategies to communicate effectively with loved ones who have differing political views, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are prepared to be receptive or open to what you have to say. You may need to start your communication with listening, which can feel difficult when you are feeling defensive. If you find yourself more dysregulated or frazzled every time you interact with this person, it may be time to set some boundaries in the relationship. I could write a whole separate blog on this topic, and I think I will.

8. Find Hope and Meaning

Let’s face it, we’re all craving purpose and meaning in our lives, regardless if there is a natural disaster, oligarchy taking power, or our algorithm is shoving political turmoil down our throats. Finding your sense of agency and purpose can help you feel hope, and feeling hope is a lot better than feeling hopeless or stuck. I suggest talking to a trusted friend or therapist to help you identify personal or community goals. Having direction can foster positivity and connection, even in challenging times.

Final Words

I’ve offered you 8 strategies to care for yourself while the political environment feels like a dumpster fire. Please, do not try to do them all at once. You’re looking for long-lasting change, and that takes time to implement. Start with the strategy that feels most doable or interesting to you. Practice it, incorporate it into your daily routine, and then choose another strategy to implement. 

Therapy can also provide a safe, supportive environment to work through political stress and anxiety while equipping you with tools to navigate future challenges. The fact that you are feeling so much because of a turbulent political environment is normal, don’t allow other people to gaslight you into thinking there’s something wrong with caring about the well-being of other human beings, the planet Earth, and all the little critters on it. If political stress is interfering with your daily life, seeking support from a professional or group can be an empowering first step.