Self-care for Political Stress and Anxiety

By: Dr. Denise Renye

What with the upcoming election and political debates, I know that many (myself included) are feeling stressed and anxious. That makes sense because politics isn’t something that happens “over there.” The people we elect, the propositions we vote for, have very real consequences from the minimum wage rate to whether people have health insurance. Experiencing stress and anxiety is a signal that you care. However, if your blood pressure is higher than usual, you’ve lost or gained weight, your mood changes rapidly, or you’re having trouble sleeping, those could all be signs the stress you’re feeling is too much. I’m not asking you to care less, but I am asking you to self-care more. What does that look like? Read on for my suggestions.

After a debate specifically. . .

I don’t know about you, but I had strong feelings after watching the first debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Self-care could look like giving yourself time to integrate what you just witnessed. This may include journaling, going for a walk or run, sitting quietly, using your boxing gloves and punching bag, or talking with a supportive friend.

If you do reach out to a friend, I recommend choosing someone who listens well. Getting into a political argument with someone after you’re already activated will only lead to more activation. You’re trying to calm yourself down, not get more riled up.

Along those lines, know that deep feelings may be triggered after watching a debate. It may remind you of times in your life where you felt attacked, not heard, powerless, etc. That’s typical and makes sense because witnessing someone else’s experience reminds us of our own. That’s why some television shows or social media posts have trigger warnings. If you find yourself deeply triggered after watching a political debate, the best thing you can do is be gentle with yourself. Taking care of yourself matters most right now. When big feelings arise, it can be an opportunity to heal old wounds triggered by current events.

In general. . .

In general, if you’re looking for self-care techniques due to political stress, I want to remind you it’s the business model of all media outlets – mainstream, alternative, independent, social media, whatever – to generate clicks and views. There’s a saying in the news business that if it bleeds, it leads, meaning journalists write about murders more than they do a drop in the crime rate. Good news stories exist, but even those have a tendency to slate toward the out of the ordinary: A pregnant wife jumping into the ocean to save her husband from a shark attack, for instance.

On social media as well the “unusual” predominates over the mundane: An MIT study found misinformation spreads about six times faster on Twitter than the truth because the truth is “boring.” I mention all that to say keep in mind, all media tries to elicit an emotional response. If you want to decrease your stress, limit your exposure. Regarding the news perhaps that means checking the news only once a day instead of every 10 minutes. Maybe you read one paper instead of five. What sort of boundaries would feel good to you regarding media exposure? If you don’t have any, it’s all too easy to get sucked into a rabbit hole that could lead to despair.

Also, if you feel irritated by something you read, ask yourself, “Is this article helpful?” as well as “Is this article real?” I highly recommend factchecking using a site such as Snopes.com. If the answer is “no” to either of the questions, allow yourself to walk away from the article and put it out of your mind. Knowing when to leave (even if it’s only reading something!) is essential to boundary setting and thus self-care.

Similarly, what are your boundaries around social media? Does it feel good to you to engage in political posts? Do you feel more empowered when you talk to others about politics? If the answer is “no,” that’s OK too. You don’t have to shout at every person you disagree with or engage in a Twitter war in order to be politically active. There are numerous ways to get involved: poll working, call banks, donating time, money, or expertise to a campaign you care about, educating people on voting, writing letters to potential voters, and more. Your political engagement doesn’t have to be as visible as someone else’s in order to matter: It all matters.  

With activism as well, it can be tempting to take on too much and then get overwhelmed or burnt out. Know your limits and honor them.

Something else that I find helps sometimes is to maintain perspective. Perspective could mean remembering humanity has lived through numerous challenges already: wars, famines, floods, dictators, pandemics, etc. Right now may seem like “the end of times” but humans are resilient. Furthermore, turbulence and upheaval often precede change both individually and collectively. Haven’t you noticed in your own life change is chaotic and disorienting? The same is true with society – the labor movement, women’s rights, civil rights, etc. – were/are not peaceful affairs that happened seamlessly.

Perspective could also mean remembering the sun is still rising, birds are still chirping, flowers are still blooming. That as much as we’re concerned about politics, the world keeps spinning and will continue to do so.

Lastly, and I know you might roll your eyes reading this, but smile. Psychologists from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville combined data from 138 studies that tested more than 11,000 participants and found facial expressions have a small impact on our feelings. You can’t “smile your way into happiness,” but smiling will make you feel marginally better.

Also, please know this is not me telling you to smile more in a “you’re not allowed to feel sad” sort of way. Nor in an aggressive “you’d be prettier if you smiled” way. I’m merely offering a tool for you to use when and if you choose so that you can feel better. Take it or leave it.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Let me know on my Facebook page. And if you find you need extra support, I’m here.

 For ideas and ways to stay connected to and learn more about the unconscious through the body, feel free to stay connected.

References

Coles, Nicholas A.; Larsen, Jeff T.; Lench, Heather C. “A meta-analysis of the facial feedback literature: Effects of facial feedback on emotional experience are small and variable.” Psychological Bulletin. April 12, 2019. https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000194

Dizikes, Peter. “Study: On Twitter, false news travels faster than true stories.” MIT News. March 8, 2018, https://news.mit.edu/2018/study-twitter-false-news-travels-faster-true-stories-0308.

Patton, Lindsay. “Pregnant Wife Jumps Into Ocean To Save Husband From Shark Attack.” Tanks Good News. September 24, 2020. https://tanksgoodnews.com/2020/09/24/pregnant-woman-shark-attack/