How does the Political Climate Interact with your Mental Health?
- Carolyn Miller
- Mar 14
- 5 min read
Submitted by Kaeley Pollock, clinical student intern
You’re not alone. Our environments can heavily interact and influence our well-being. This
includes mental health: many people experience feeling overwhelmed or triggered by politics. This can lead to increased stress, feelings of despair, and conflicts within relationships.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact 911 or 988, the national suicide hotline.
Whether you are actively engaging in political conversations or not, the influence that politics has on our lives is unavoidable. There is often a bombardment of information to decipher between social media, news outlets, and daily interactions with others. The climate of the political world is uniquely divisive at this point, with polarizing opinions that can take a toll on anyone. Political decisions also have a direct impact on socioeconomic factors in our lives: finances, employment, housing, and feeling a sense of safety. There is no shame in recognizing that these experiences may be having a negative impact on your well-being.
How are you being impacted?
1. Stress – it is not uncommon to experience heightened levels of stress during tense
political times. There are conflicts on personal levels as well as grand societal
disagreements. If you have been feeling more tense, easily irritable, or exhausted, you
may be experiencing high levels of stress.
a. Stress can influence our quality and quantity of sleep. You may find yourself
having trouble falling asleep, due to racing thoughts or not being able to “shut
your brain down”.
b. Additionally, stress and anxiety are connected but not in and of themselves the
same. Increased stress may lead to feelings of anxiety, or increase levels of
preexisting anxiety.
2. Effects on relationships – at any level of relationship (family, friends, romantic) politics
can be a touchy subject. Sometimes people choose to avoid these topics all together,
but other times they are addressed head-on. If you are experiencing conflict, an increase
in emotion/emotional response, or discomfort in your existing relationships, you are
having a normal human experience. When these effects on your relationships get to the
point of causing distress, you should consider reaching out to safe people in your life or
speaking to a professional who can help you navigate your feelings and identify changes
that may need to be made.
3. Safety – with major changes happening in the world around us, it may have you
questioning your sense of safety at times. Decisions are being made that directly affect
us and our loved ones, which gives us a lot to think (and often worry) about. Feeling safe
is one of our basic needs as humans, so finding ways to provide ourselves with a sense
of safety can be crucial during tense times.
a. At-risk or vulnerable populations (emerging adults, senior citizens, people with
disabilities/chronic health concerns), and marginalized communities (people of
color, LGBTQ+ populations, those with ethnically diverse backgrounds) may be
at a heightened risk of feeling unsafe.
b. Safety within our social circles is also something to consider. Communities of any
scale (state, city, town, work, family) where you hold a minority opinion may begin
to feel unsafe or unwelcoming.
4. Socioeconomic factors – there is a widely accepted understanding that our environment influences our well-being. The social determinants of health have a direct impact on our mental health. Those influences (income, job security, housing, daily cost of living) are being impacted by political decisions we have little or no control over. In these situations, It is crucial to consider what we can control versus what we can’t control. Focusing on
what social determinants of health we are able to change and maintain may be
beneficial when so much else is up in the air.
What can you do?
Influx of information: Hearing, seeing, or talking about politics is somewhat unavoidable in
today’s world. From social media to contradictory news outlets, it can become overwhelming. Limiting the amount and the manner in which you receive political information may help with the day-to-day management of stress and anxiety caused by the political environment. One of the most important steps to take is knowing where you are getting your news from. Finding trusted and reputable sources may be a good first step in managing the range of information available to us. Setting measurable boundaries can also be a useful skill with regards to news. Being mindful of the amount of time you spend consuming political information is important, and should be combined with the practice of relying on trusted sources.
Healthy coping skills: now, more than ever, it is crucial to partake in activities that bring us joy. Not only does engaging in positive activities help our overall well-being, but they also provide us with an opportunity to break the cycle of worrying about politics. If you have been experiencing increased stress or negativity in your life, invest time doing things that bring you a sense of pleasure. Be outside, get active, explore creative outlets, or spend time with others who agree to intentionally setting politics aside for a while.
Connections with others: seeking out support can make a big difference in our lives, especially when we are facing the consequences of today’s political climate. By investing in safe and respectful relationships, we can help ourselves and others. A generous number of psychological theorists maintain that relationships are a core part of what makes us human. We are social creatures who seek out connections with other people,
and
Consider professional services: There is no shame in admitting that the political climate of the US has had a negative effect on your well-being. Whether you are experiencing increased anxiety, disruptions in relationships, or life changes as a result of political action, a professional mental health provider may be able to help. Speaking to a professional who operates from a perspective of cultural humility gives you a safe outlet to voice your opinions free of judgement, may provide you with healthy coping skills, and can help you manage the repercussions of political turmoil.
Advocacy: A big issue people are facing right now is the feeling of being out of control. If you have found yourself asking, what can I do? You may consider becoming involved in advocacy. Advocacy requires action, but there are so many different ways it can look. Calling your local representatives, finding and engaging in subgroups within your community, signing petitions, and more. This will give you the ability to take back some of the power if you feel you have lost it.
To end this the same way we began: you are not alone. While everyone’s experience is unique to their own life and environment, thousands of people feel the weight of politics every day. There can be real effects of the political environment on our well-being, but there are steps and decisions that you can take to improve your quality of life. And don’t be afraid to reach out to those who support you – including professionals who may be able to help you navigate this tricky world we live in.
Additional read you may find useful: Understand how other people think: A theory of
The Healing Point, PLLC will be offering a virtual support group for those impacted by the political climate. Please complete this form for more information
Resources:
Hoyt, L. T., Zeiders, K. H., Chaku, N., Toomey. R. B., & Nair, R. L. (2018). Young adults’
psychological and physiological reactions to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Psychoneuroendocrinology, 92, 162-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.03.011
Pester, D. A., Jones, L. K., & Talib. Z. (2023). Social determinants of mental health: Informing counseling practice and professional identity. Journal of Counseling & Development, 99(4), 392-401. DOI: 10.1002/jcad.12473
Comments