Our current political climate is an issue that is causing collective insecurity, fear, uncertainty and an incredible amount of stress. Whether you are struggling with job, financial, philosophical or physical stress, self-care and stress therapy can help you navigate these turbulent times.

Our current government is engaging in actions that are well outside the established expectations and parameters and are leading us to feel both in awe of the non-conformity and terrified of the results, both long-term and short-term. Regardless of what side of the aisle you resonate with, this is a time of intense agitation, insecurity and fear.

The Psychological Impact of Current Political Events

According to a recent study by the Public Library of Science, as many as 40% of Americans feel that politics is a significant source of stress in their lives. This stress can affect every aspect of our lives – our relationships, work, our mental well-being and our physical health.

Because of the power struggle we are witnessing within our current systems, those who are more vulnerable (such as women, people of color, and the LGBTQIA community) are feeling this stress with much more intensity.

Many factors are driving this increase in stress and anxiety, and we are grappling with the psychological impact of all of the following:

• Media Overload & Digital Fatigue – The constant news cycle contributes to stress, outrage, and hopelessness. Social media also plays a huge role in amplifying political division and personal anxiety.
• Election Fatigue & Political Anxiety – The 2024 presidential election and its polarizing effects on communities. Many of us also have concerns regarding misinformation, voting rights, and potential civil unrest.
• Legislative Decisions & Their Impact – The ongoing debates on reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and healthcare policies can impact our mental health.  Recent state-level laws impacting marginalized communities also is increasing stress and fear for many.

What we are experiencing is a sequence of crises, one after the other, in rapid succession that reduces are ability to re-regulate, re-stabilize and re-secure our coping strategies, health and resilience. Each new crisis comes on the back of the last and leaves us feeling depleted, exhausted and struggling to catch up with our wellness.

In addition to this, we are experiencing a new frontier of information dissemination that we are struggling to keep up with. Our sense of reality and sanity is unstable due to the social media algorithms siloing us into separate and fear-based realities.

Communities and families are fracturing, our biological relationship with cortisol and dopamine have been weaponized against us, we are struggling to cope, to heal and to unite.

The Importance of Self-Care & Resilience

This heightened stress and feelings of anxiety, if left to their own ruminating and dark rabbit-hole vortexes, can lead to an entire nervous system burnout. It is essential to our health and the health of our communities to find a way to cope with this nearing mental health crisis.

This offers a new definition of “self-care”. This offers us a chance to look at self-care as an act of resistance to the systems in power. Self-care becomes a movement of self-respect that enables us to survive these moments.

It is essential to find a way to enjoy the parts of our day that are unchanged, while also not hiding under a rock to avoid the fear and unrest that we are observing daily. How do we develop the stamina to remain plugged into the daily functioning of our lives without losing ourselves in fear and stress?

Strategies For Managing Mental Health

While it might feel like we lack control sometimes, if we look closely and patiently, we will find many opportunities to take control of our mental health. Here are some tips to manage the constant “noise” and stress we all face during these turbulent times.

1. Set Boundaries with News & Social Media

• Limit Doom-Scrolling – Too often, our anxiety leads us to scroll through negative and distressing news again and again. Limit this doom-scrolling and set time restrictions for consuming political content.
• Choose Reliable News Sources – These days misinformation abounds, but there are places to find reliable content, and this can reduce misinformation-induced stress.
• Take Social Media Breaks – Online hostility can be exhausting, so take a break from social media from time to time. If you have friends or family constantly posting upsetting content, mute them from time to time as this can lower your stress and help preserve the relationship. If you can, find one or two small activities to replace your phone usage with. Such as putting your phone down to pet your cat, or putting your phone down to get up and get a glass of water.
• Audit Your Social Media Feeds – While we all want to stay informed, sites such as Facebook, Instagram and others aren’t the best option. So, unfollow, mute or hide content that impacts your mental state. Instead, follow positive and inspiring content creators that provide motivational quotes, mental wellness tips, humorous content, or perhaps culinary, art, animal or nature accounts.

2. Practice Emotional Self-Care

• Validate Your Feelings – It’s important to acknowledge and validate feelings of anger, frustration or fear. Recognizing and accepting your emotions helps you understand what you’re feeling and why. This self-awareness is key to managing stress, anxiety, and frustration. Suppressing or ignoring emotions can amplify their intensity. By validating your feelings, you give yourself permission to process them, which often helps them feel less overwhelming. Tara Brach talks about how anger is coming from a place of deep caring. Honor that caring and the emotional experience that it brings.
• Engage in Stress-Reduction Activities – Meditation, yoga and deep breathing can help us release stress and anxiety. Listening to calming music and nature sounds also can reduce stress. Head out into nature and enjoy some fresh air, sunshine and exercise. Check out some really great apps for mindfulness exercises such as Insight Timer or Headspace.
• Start Journaling – Keep a journal to process emotions and reflect on personal values. Writing down your thoughts can provide clarity and help you process emotions.

3. Stay Connect & Find Support

• Share Your Concerns – Talk to friends and family about concerns but set boundaries to avoid political arguments. (e.g. “I love you, but it upsets me to discuss these types of issues, let’s avoid these topics for our peace of mind.”)
• Mental Health Counseling – Seek professional help from therapists, especially those specializing in political trauma. Talk therapy provides you with a safe outlet and also can provide you with tools to manage stress and anxiety.
• Get Together – Join support groups or advocacy communities that align with personal values. Being around like-minded individuals can be soothing and help you feel less isolated. Research shows that getting involved in advocacy work is a great outlet for your emotions, increases feelings of empowerment and helps the meaning-making process around grief and loss.

4. Take Meaningful Action

We sometimes feel insignificant, but we truly can make an impact. Here are some steps you can take that will help you feel connected to a purpose and a brighter future.

• Get involved in local activism, volunteering or community service
• Contact representatives and engage in civic participation to foster a sense of agency
• Practice self-awareness to prevent activist burnout and compassion fatigue. (If you need a break, take care of yourself- what is good for yourself is good for the community.

5. Tips For Long-Term Resilience

Stress therapy tools can help us weather current storms as well as those that are headed our way in the future. It’s not just about getting through today, it’s also about protecting our mental health for the long term. I encourage you:

• Develop routines that prioritize mental health, such as exercise and sufficient sleep.
• Find moments of joy and gratitude despite political uncertainties.
• Focus on long-term advocacy rather than immediate, overwhelming engagement.
• Notice the small miracles that happen around you each day, take a moment to appreciate them. Maybe even note in the morning or evening, three things you are grateful for every day.

The Final Analysis

During challenging times, protecting our mental health is paramount. Focusing on long-term advocacy rather than immediate, overwhelming engagement can be highly beneficial. We also need to find moments of joy and gratitude despite these political uncertainties.

Most of all, it’s crucial to reach out for help when you need it. These are tough times, but we don’t have to go through them alone. Here are some easily accessible resources for counseling and mindfulness as well as a look at how the team at Wildroots Collective can help.

Mental Health Resources

First and foremost, if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please text or callthe Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. You are not alone, and there is hope — people are ready to listen and help you through this. Caring people are available to talk any time day or night.

In addition to the lifeline above, there are many other resources out there, including:

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) – Call (800) 662-HELP (4357)  or text HOME to 741741 for 24/7 support.

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Support) – Call (866) 488-7386 or Text START to 678678. This organization provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.

Trans Lifeline (For Transgender and nonbinary individuals) – Call (877) 565-8860 to receive 24/7 support. This service is run by and for trans and nonbinary people.

Calm – This popular app provides guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises and more. Some features are free while some require a subscription, however, some health insurance carriers (Kaiser, United Health Care and Excellus ECBS) offer the full library of content at no charge for most members.

Moodfit – This app offers mood tracking, which can be a great way to identify emotional triggers and behavior patterns. This app also offers tools based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as breathing exercises, guided meditation, assessment tools and more. As with Calm, some features require a subscription.

Shine – This is an app curated for the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community. It includes features such as daily meditations and self-care courses, as well as virtual workshops.

Need Stress Therapy? Contact Wildroots Collective

While the tools above can be beneficial, individual counseling can be transformative. We offer mental health counseling and holistic therapy for women in Montana, Colorado and Wyoming. We know in these vast, rural areas it can be tough to access counseling services, so we offer secure online therapy and a safe space for women from all backgrounds.

If you’ve been searching for Bozeman therapists, Kalispell therapists, counselors in Missoula or perhaps a therapist in Wyoming or a therapist in Colorado, opting for counselors that offer virtual therapy can be a great option to consider, especially given the difficulty of traveling during our long winter months.

Whether you need stress therapy, counseling for anxiety, a trauma therapist or another type of psychotherapy, we are here to listen and help. Our comprehensive online therapy services are tailored to your unique needs.  We also offer collaborative workshops and wellness retreats that can help you connect with others as well as with nature. Contact us today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and get started on your path to a happier, healthier life.