Overwhelmed and helpless in political turmoil

If you feel emotionally drained, overwhelmed or helpless due to the ongoing political uncertainty over the past few months, you are not alone. Between constant policy changes and the unfortunate news cycle, many feel constantly firefighting in what feels like a new crisis every day. And the pressure to keep up with news and political developments will further impact our mental health.

unique study The event was held after the 2016 US presidential election, indicating that the need to constantly check political news is actually linked to a higher level. depression and anxietywhich results in one in four participants, Regardless of their political affiliation, I had experienced “political” OCD– “Like the symptoms of having politically focused, intrusive thinking and then forcing the news to be checked.

Our passion draws us to stay engaged constantly, but we need to recognize that this coping method will be sacrificed to us and counterproductive to continued meaningful engagement. Burnout syndrome. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between when to rely on and when to take a break.

What can you do to protect your mental health?

1. Consider charging and cutting it intentionally. Ours Nervous system It’s a key player stressregulation, healing. When our nervous system is overloaded, we are constantly in a flight/flight/freezing reaction. This can be tiring! It is important to recognize when you feel overwhelmed or dysregulated. Deliberately disconnecting, meaning to take a short, intentional break from political updates and news, helps you regulate and return with new energy. This could mean an hour, evening, day, or even weekend break. This is not to avoid important issues that you care about or succumb to a freezing response. In the long run, it’s about giving yourself what you need to stay involved. Ignoring the need for regulation in your body only makes it difficult to continue to engage over time.

Many historical records show that even at war, people create moments of lightness. American Civil War soldiers gathered around campfires during battle to tell songs, stories, jokes, create moments of reprieve from the stress of war. So the need to escape and seek safety in the face of a threat is that we are all biologically hardened.

Reducing the need to instantly cut this can actually lead to a freeze, fawn, or collapse reaction. This only increases feelings of helplessness and stress.

But how is this different from avoidance?

The two most important components of intentionally cutting to distinguish between avoidance and deliberate:

• Intentionality: The intention of returning is the main difference between intentionally charging and disconnecting to avoid. Set limits on how long you can take a break, and decide when you want to return to engagement again before taking a break. This will help you take the reprieve you need while ensuring you have the energy to continue acting in line with your values. setting boundary It helps to give yourself permission to make the most of your break, knowing that you will be repeated later again.
• Engage in charging activities when you disconnect: The next difference is that taking this intentional pause will allow you to return with updated energy and tackle problems at hand, focusing on activities that will help you relax and rejuvenate your body and mind. Some of these charging activities are:
  • You’ll be walking for a 30-minute walk while listening to the current event podcasts, but you’ll be listening to podcasts that are not only present in the world around you, but also help create lightness.
  • Get plenty of sleep.
  • Exercise – the study Exercise shows that not only increases serotonin in our bodies to overcome stress, but also helps us overcome helplessness.
  • Eat nutritious foods that replenish your energy and support your happiness.
  • Spend time in nature.
  • practice Mindfulness or meditation.

2. Set boundaries to avoid burnout. Setting boundaries is also important to protect your mental health. Consider setting restrictions such as not having a mobile phone in your bed, or spending certain time to avoid the news, ending the day or specifying a specific day for digital detox. These boundaries help protect time, energy, and emotional well-being at certain times, giving you the ability to focus on what is most important at other times. That separation is really important.

3. Engage in value-driven actions: the study Consistently demonstrate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment Treatment in reducing anxiety, depression and stress-related disorders. One of the core coping strategies for distress in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is value-driven behavior. In the context of political stress, actions can help an individual to embrace the out-of-control nature of a political event, overcome the pain associated with a lack of control, focus on its values, and act according to those values. This means identifying what’s really important to you and taking specific steps to match those values.

With the large number of political changes happening now, it is difficult to keep up with the news and to analyze in-depth information about any policy changes. Instead, focus your actions on one or two issues you are deeply interested in, or where you have the greatest ability to have a positive impact.

4. Recruitment a Reducing harm A framework for overcoming helplessness: Also, it’s important to not feel that you have it to work towards making a big difference, and realize that you can be exhausted and discouraged, especially when you are struggling with helplessness.

People can develop their senses I learned to feel helpless Due to the uncontrollable nature of some stressors, and when you experience it, you feel helpless. To allow yourself to embrace a harm reduction framework when you feel helpless can help you overcome this stuck.

The harm-rider framework is used in many ways in psychology and is particularly relevant to substance use disorders. Drawing from the principle of harm reduction, when you feel helpless in the current political climate, it becomes an effective strategy to shift your focus to taking action that re-empowers you and minimizes the negative impact of something harmful to regain a sense of control.

Below are some examples of this coping strategy:

• Supporting families who have lost their jobs
• Your loved one will help you find a job
• We offer free service in the wheelhouse
• Financing and advocacy efforts for legal costs to help those in need of legal assistance
• LGBTQIA2SP+Create a safe space for your loved ones

Close thoughts

Political turmoil and constant change can really hit your happiness and institutional sense, but burnout and overwhelm don’t have to be a deep, compassionate cost. Learning to recognize that your nervous system needs a resilient pause, set thoughtful boundaries and reconnect with core values ​​allows you to stay engaged in a sustainable and empowering way.

You don’t need to do everything – you need to do something that matches you capacity and Your Value And your ability to stay engaged depends on your ability I will regulate it and charging!