[7 minute read]
TL;DR: Many people are feeling overwhelmed, worried, or even despondent in today’s political climate and by the constant stream of news. Political stress can impact relationships, mental health, and even faith communities, leaving us feeling exhausted or disconnected. These emotions are valid—they signal that something we care about is being challenged.
To cope, it’s important to stay grounded, limit media exposure, focus on what is meaningful, strengthen relationships, and take action in ways that align with your values. Self-care, community support, and spiritual practices can help cultivate peace, resilience, and hope in uncertain times.
How do you feel after watching the news lately?
I recently heard someone say, “If you’re not anxious, you’re not paying attention.” While conflict and tension—both domestic and international—are always present, many believe we are living through an historic moment that will make for some riveting reading in future history books.
At our agency, we see how political stress is playing out in our homes, faith communities, and even in our bodies. Like shifting tectonic plates, instability and uncertainty can be deeply unsettling. In a time of sharp political division and public tensions, many people are feeling overwhelmed or troubled by the seemingly precarious state of the world.
You may notice yourself feeling more stressed after listening to the radio or scrolling through social media. We regularly hear from individuals struggling with heightened anxiety — some who are noticing it for the first time. Others describe facing increased conflict in relationships with family, friends, and faith communities. When our usual coping strategies fall short in dealing with these stresses, it’s essential for us to find new ways to ground ourselves, maintain perspective, and cultivate peace in both mind and body.
Feelings Are Proportionate
Our emotions aren’t just making our lives harder for no reason. Our bodies have an incredible (though sometimes frustrating) built-in alarm system that alerts us to danger or uncertainty. In fact, this is what has helped humans survive.
So if you’re feeling sad, worried, or fearful, it’s likely because something important to you is being challenged. Maybe you care deeply about peacemaking, safety, kindness, and respect, and it’s painful to see those values violated in the news. Or perhaps you value freedom and security, and it’s distressing to witness places where those things are being taken away. The truth is, the more you care, the more it hurts when things go wrong. And that’s okay — it means you hold deep and meaningful values.
Understanding Political Stress and Its Impact
Political stress can manifest in many ways in your life, including:
- Feeling anxious about the future and the direction of society;
- Experiencing low moods stemming from a prolonged feeling of helplessness;
- Having strained relationships with friends, family, or colleagues due to polarized viewpoints;
- Feeling exhausted from constant exposure to negative news;
- Losing of a sense of belonging or support when views conflict with those of close friends or family;
- Feeling disengaged or ambivalent toward people and activities you normally care about.
Finding Meaning and Stability in Uncertain Times
When the world feels chaotic, it is essential to find your anchor and to remember what is most important to you. What do you lean on when you’re feeling anxious or stressed by instability, or when you need meaning and connection? Whether through faith in God, your community, or your personal reflection, grounding yourself in deeper values can help you maintain perspective. The wisdom found in spiritual traditions, mindfulness practices, and shared community reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles.
If you are a person of faith, your connection with God can be the anchor that helps ground you in the storm. This connection with God does not dismiss the very real pain and stress you experience but it does offer a perspective shift— it also means that you are not alone in your struggles.
It can be helpful to take a moment and consider: – who and what grounds you the most?
Practical Strategies for Coping with Political Stress
1 Know that you are not alone
The most critical message you should know is that you are not alone. Despite how powerless and helpless you may feel, many people are having a similar reaction. Those around you can be of great comfort during these stressful times, and they may also benefit from connecting with you.
When I was a new mother, a wise elder from my church pulled me aside and told me this advice: don’t stand if you can sit, don’t sit if you can lie down, and don’t lie down if you can sleep. This was the exact advice I needed to hear when I was living through a 24-hour feeding cycle with very little sleep.
. We all need similar advice now. Don’t be silent if you can voice your stress to a loved one or write a note to an elected official. Don’t walk away from a conversation if you have the opportunity to ask for a hug or an encouraging word. Don’t let your imagination get the better of you if you can talk with a close friend about your worries instead.
2 Limit media exposure
If you’re like me, your phone is often at arm’s reach, and your media feed is eager to call your attention to challenging content. The 24-hour news cycle thrives on creating panic related to crisis and conflict, which can raise our anxiety. While it is important to stay informed, please consider being kind to yourself by setting boundaries around media consumption. Here are some suggestions:
- Choose a few trusted sources rather than doom-scrolling through endless news feeds.
- Set time limits for news consumption, such as checking updates once or twice a day rather than constantly throughout the day.
- Take regular breaks from social media
3 Use your spiritual tools
If it’s part of your practice, consider prioritizing your faith during this time. Use spiritual writing, prayer, and meditation as ways of grounding yourself. These can act as a powerful counterbalance to the negativity around you. Consider incorporating the following spiritual practices into your routine:
- Begin and end each day with prayer, asking for wisdom, discernment, and peace.
- Meditate on Scripture or spiritual writing meaningful to you.
- Join a small group for support and encouragement.
- Prioritize time with mentors and friends who have the shared goal of mutual support, connection and hope.
4 Focus on what you can control
Feeling powerless is a major contributor to political stress. While we cannot control everything happening in the world, we can take meaningful action in our own spheres of influence. Some ideas are:
- Consider engaging in positive community service or advocacy efforts. Or volunteer organizations you’ve been wanting to tell? Volunteers will tell you that volunteering can help you not feel helpless. My visits to blood services, for example, are some of my favourite days of the year for that very reason.
- Encourage respectful, solution-oriented discussions rather than divisive arguments.
- Become engaged in your community in ways that align with your values. Consider joining neighbourhood meetings, or attending town halls where you can voice your concerns, and hear other perspective.
5 Strengthen relationships and find support
Political differences can strain even the closest relationships. If political views have created distance between you and people you care about, try to seek out supportive, like-minded individuals who can provide encouragement. However, it’s also important to maintain grace and empathy in discussions. Some ways you can do this include:
- Prioritize relationships over political debates. Not every conversation needs to be an argument. I recently met a family that used a Taboo buzzer to use every time politics came up around their supper table, playfully reminding everyone to stick to sports or other safer topics.
- Set boundaries if certain discussions repeatedly lead to stress or conflict.
- Seek common ground and shared values where possible. While your family might disagree about political parties, they might agree on universal health care and share good memories of an excellent nurse who cared for a family member.
- If you have someone close to you who brings you joy through a hug, make hugging them a priority. Attachment theory 101 tells us that we are built to connect to those around us, and our nervous system feels the benefit of contact with our loved ones. A 20-second hug will have a meaningful impact on your physical and emotional wellbeing.
Navigating these interactions isn’t easy! If stress or isolation feels overwhelming, consider reaching out to a counsellor or a trusted faith leader for support in navigating this challenge.
6 When possible, laugh
In the mental health field, there is a long-held value of finding ways to laugh when possible, despite the challenges and pain. Engaging in comedy, humour, and silliness can both be an act of defiance in times of stress, as well as allowing our bodies to help us feel better.
When we laugh, we get the benefits of increased oxygen in our bodies and an increase in pleasurable endorphins, which are our bodies ‘painkillers’, helping us feel better. Neurologically, it helps regulate our brain, pulling us out of fight or flight, back into our relaxed brain. Pediatric wards have known this for years, using clown therapy with children battling cancer. Humour is not ignoring the reality of the stressors but resisting being overcome by them.
Consider watching a favourite comedy series or a stand-up comedians with a loved one, reading your favourite funny short stories, or better yet, brush off your most ridiculous board game and lean into some intentional fun with your family, friends or neighbours.
7 Prioritize self-care and mental health
You are human! Stress affects your body, your mind, and your spirit. The healthier you are, the easier it will be to cope more effectively with external challenges. So try some of these “workouts” to stay in physical and mental shape:
- Engage in regular physical activity, which has been shown to reduce anxiety and improve moods. Vigorous exercise, of example, after a traumatic event can help stave off PTSD.
- Practice relaxation tools like deep breathing, journaling, or spending time in nature.
- Make time for activities that bring you joy—they impact both mind and body in restorative ways. It may be time to brush off your woodworking tools or painting supplies, these simple sources of pleasure are gold in stressful times.
Moving Forward with Hope and Resilience
Though the world may feel increasingly uncertain, we are built with an incredible capacity to cope, even through stress that feels beyond what we can manage. While it takes some intentionality, using our community, our self-care, and our faith, we can navigate through this next chapter together, co-creating peace in our world.
Jennifer Bowen is the Executive Director at Shalem Mental Health Network
The development of an early draft of this article and resource list was supported by AI.
Resources
Books – critical reflections of how to engage with media and discourse well:
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- “Christians in the Age of Outrage” – Ed Stetzer:
Explores how Christians can engage with cultural and political issues without being consumed by anger and division. - “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion” – Jonathan Haidt
A psychological exploration of why political division happens and how to bridge gaps in understanding.. - “Unaffordable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better” – Brant Hansen
Christian perspective which encourages a mindset of grace and letting go of the offence, which is particularly helpful in politically charged times. - “The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction” – Justin Whitmel Earley
Healthy habits with using technology. Discusses daily practices to create peace and intentionality amid cultural chaos.
- “Christians in the Age of Outrage” – Ed Stetzer:
- Online Supports
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- Anxiety Canada, which provides anxiety tools for self and for parents
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