Navigating Anxiety in Today’s Political Climate

“Who doesn’t have anxiety these days?” is something I hear often in conversations about mental health. And honestly—it’s true. Our collective baseline of anxiety seems higher than ever. Every day brings new reasons to feel unsettled, and many of those reasons are valid, given how scary and unpredictable the world feels.

Traditional anxiety treatments often focus on identifying and challenging distorted thought patterns. The idea is that our anxious thoughts aren’t always rooted in reality, so by reframing them, we can reduce the intensity of our anxiety. But what happens when our anxious thoughts are rooted in reality? When we seek evidence to calm our fears, only to find confirmation that those fears are justified?

This is where things get tricky. We may not be able to eliminate anxiety in today’s world, but we can learn how to manage it so it doesn’t take over our lives. Here are some strategies:

Regulate your nervous system. Anxiety puts our bodies into “fight or flight,” which leads to racing hearts, sweaty palms, shallow breathing, and more. When we’re always anxious, our nervous system stays activated, leaving us more vulnerable to stress. Building habits that calm the nervous system makes us more resilient when acute stressors hit.

• Practice mindfulness or meditation. This can be as simple as a few deep breaths or as structured as a daily practice. Many apps and resources offer guided exercises, but you can also bring mindfulness into ordinary tasks.

• Do calming activities. A bath, music, journaling, reading, time outside, or connecting with loved ones can all help.

• Exercise regularly. Movement helps regulate the nervous system and lowers cortisol. It doesn’t have to be intense—even a brisk walk counts.

• Get enough sleep. Poor sleep heightens anxiety. While anxiety can make sleep harder, healthy routines and sleep hygiene make a real difference.

• Limit caffeine. As tempting as it is when tired, caffeine fuels nervous system activation and can worsen anxiety.

  
  

Step away from social media. This is less of a suggestion and more of a plea. Social media’s constant stream of news, outrage, and negativity feeds anxiety. Personally, stepping away has been one of the most impactful changes I’ve made for my own mental health. If quitting completely feels impossible, set boundaries: unfollow accounts that spike anxiety, curate your feed, or set screen time limits. Tools like Brick or “phone jail” can help support this when your willpower is low. Find other ways to fill the downtime when you’d usually scroll—like keeping a book or puzzle handy.

Seek out the good. It may feel like, in the incredibly articulate words of folk band “The Decemberists” that “everything, everything, everything, everything, everything, everything, everything, everything, everything, everything is awful,” but there is good in the world too. Look for positive news sources like The Good News Network, the Good News page on Today.com, the @goodnews_movement, Positive.News, and The Good News Podcast, to name a few. And notice the small joys in daily life—your dog’s snuggles, a perfectly made latte, or laughter with a friend.

Help others. Anxiety thrives on isolation and hopelessness. Counter it by connecting through kindness—volunteer, donate, express gratitude, or offer small gestures like holding the door open. Being part of the good in the world helps remind us it still exists.

Focus on what you can control. So much is outside of our influence, which can leave us feeling powerless. Shift your focus to the areas where you do have control—your daily choices, routines, and the ways you contribute to change, whether through voting, volunteering, or supporting causes that matter.

Give yourself permission to not be okay. Feeling anxious right now is normal—and valid. There’s comfort in remembering that you’re not alone. Most people you ask would admit they’re anxious too. Be gentle with yourself. Remind yourself that you’ve survived every hard day so far—and you’ll continue to.

It may feel impossible not to be anxious these days, but we can take steps to manage it, and we can practice empathy and patience with ourselves along the way. We are not okay—and that’s okay. We’re all doing our best.