I was volunteering at the polls on the night of the 2016 election. After a long shift, I was completely unaware of the latest headlines. By the time I made it home on November 8, 2016, I finally turned on the TV and the dread set in. What I understood as a “normal political climate” had been completely up-ended. I had lived in D.C. and worked in politics there for almost a decade, and I had never experienced such a shift. After the election, progressive people marched, resisted, organized, ran for local office or Congress, and won. We did everything we could to stave off the terror of what could happen under Trump. 

By the 2024 election, I traded my fancy suits and early morning standups for comfy sweaters and late evening therapy sessions with clients who are like me: gay and tired. I felt an affinity with my clients in this new chapter of my career as we held out hope during Biden’s presidency and reelection bid. Then, we watched as the worst case scenario repeated itself: Trump won. Even though I no longer worked in D.C., this time was different. This was a more cataclysmic shift than last time and the air was charged. We’ve seen what has happened since Trump took office a couple months ago. My clients represent the communities most impacted by Trump’s hateful rhetoric and draconian policies. Transgender folks and QTBIPOC are explicitly under threat right now. But we are going to get through this together. 

Here are some of the ways that I—a queer therapist who used to work in mayhem—am encouraging clients, family, friends (and myself!), to protect mental wellness during political chaos. 

1. Take breaks from being online—and I mean it. Like really take them. The news, the hot takes, the comment sections (but let’s be real, get outta there!), the Reels will still be there when you return. Don’t be afraid of pausing to enjoy your life. You can still be informed without exhausting yourself. Flooding us with news is a tactic. If we are overwhelmed, we can’t react or take care of ourselves; we burn out too fast. I recommend setting a timer to get your news. When the timer goes off, close the app or browser. Maybe even put your phone away. Then, relax and take a breather.
   
   1. During those breaks do a five minute meditation, box breathing, journal your reactions, do gentle stretching, or maybe have a little treat. Then, you can move on to the next part of your day
   2. Choose a news aggregator to tailor the types of stories you’re getting—a healthy mix of what Beyoncé is doing and what’s going on in the world, perhaps. 
   3. Turn off the notifications. The American Psychological Association reported on a 2020 study that showed how more media from different sources consumed increased anxiety, overwhelm, and fear. While a mix of news types, such as pop culture and gossip blogs, can offer some much-needed levity, our brains suffer from the constant updates, making it hard for us to concentrate, increasing stress, and decreasing our brain’s actual gray matter, which impacts our control and concentration. Y’all, I don’t know about you, but I need all my gray matter right now.
   4. Find your people—When we are stressed, overwhelmed, and sad about what is going on around us, we may feel helpless and we may isolate, even if we don’t mean to. While you’re taking those media breaks, reach out to trusted folks in your network for support. Check in with your people that they have the bandwidth to be there. And when you’re able, offer that support in return. Some of the ways I encourage my clients to reach out and make those connections are through community activities: queer book clubs, social activities, sober events, or volunteering. Coming together over shared interests and activities is important to mental health. 
2. And then organize—You’ve taken your breaks from the media, you’ve found the queer knitting club that meets at the library, and you’ve reached out to your support network. Now let’s get out there and do something. Not everyone can donate money or run for Congress and that can lead to feeling helpless. But there are still so many ways to get involved in your community, which can be even more effective than making the big bold moves. 
   
   1. I recommend mutual aid support to my clients. Mutual aid focuses on community support for those folks closest to your geographic location. Since the pandemic started, mutual aid is seeing a huge increase, which means there are a lot of ways to get involved now. Your resources and talents are needed in mutual aid now more than ever. 
   2. Organize around causes that matter to you in your community. Find your likeminded volunteer group and see how you can get involved. Not all forms of organizing are protests and phone banks. Maybe you may help out at your local co-op grocery or garden. These unprecedented times feel like they require big action, but we have to pace ourselves and be discerning about where we might be the most helpful, especially at the local level. 
3. And, real talk, we all need therapy at some point in our lives, so if you’re stressed out and anxious about our current political climate, then look into getting a therapist—it sounds like shameless self-promotion, but I cannot stress enough that we have to use all of our resources to avoid burnout and overwhelm. I have a therapist who shares some of my identities and therefore understands, at a fundamental level, how the news, and what is happening around us, affects me. Finding a clinician that gets you can be life changing. Our practice is here to help. We’ve got you.

I am so fortunate to not be living and working in D.C. right now; making the change to being a therapist was one of the best decisions I made for my own mental health. And yet, I see how impactful my work can be from afar even if it’s different from what I used to do. In many ways, I am still part of the fight. One client at a time, one article at a time, I tell folks that we are stronger together; we remind each other that we are deserving of every good thing: peace, love, respect, and so much more. Our togetherness is revolutionary. Protect yourself and your mental health during this time because we need each other.

Photo Credit: Red, White & Royal Blue