Taking Care of Yourself in Uncaring Times

My Political Anxiety Management Toolkit -- plus one thing the experts forgot

Jun 01, 2025

Dear Reader,

I confess that when I take a trip, I want to feel at home. So for the three-day trip I took to Georgia last week, I packed three bags: an extra change of clothes, three pairs of shoes (leaving home my hiking boots, at the last minute), my favorite pillow, an extra pillow, a reading light with extra batteries, several books so there’s at least one I’ll be interested in, a crossword puzzle book in case I don’t want to read, an extra pencil in case one breaks … . My family humors me.

In other words, in a new environment I feel best with some home comforts at hand.

But what do you pack when your home itself is threatened by a hurricane or a forest fire, as happened to so many in Western North Carolina this past year? Destructive events like these don’t care about your feelings. You have to pack what you can, and find a way to stay safe.

After hurricane Helene in October 2025: members of Mountain Mule Packers and the Cajun Navy 2016 in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

And, for millions of us today who are under siege by an aggressively corrupt administration in Washington, what can one pack, emotionally? I’ve been figuring out how to stay positive under a daily barrage of bad news.

The first thing I tried was to shelter from the news, but at the same time not to isolate myself. Easier said than done. The second thing I did was to look for advice on how to pack a Political Anxiety Management Toolkit. How do others do it?

Michelle Obama has said,

Sometimes I retreat a moment from the fray, just to breathe. Because what I’ve learned is that my immediate reaction cannot be the deciding reaction. So I just sort of step back a second.

Her husband Barack recalled that at President,

I walked along the West Colonnade to get to and from the Oval Office—a one-minute, open-air commute. I’d gather my thoughts for the day.
… As long as I stayed focused on those north stars [his long view on issues], I tended not to get too rattled.

Clockwise from top left: Sonia Sotomayor, Colette, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama

U. S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has said,

I’m a fairly decent poker player. I have friends over and we don’t talk business. [Substitute “politics”!] We talk life. You have to find a way to detach. Because if you become consumed by something, you lose perspective about living in life.

The French writer Colette said:

Live in the moment!

But how can a person who cares about justice, humanity and democracy stay centered in 2025 in America? Emotional healthcare professionals suggest coping strategies:

Know your triggers. Be ready to calm your thoughts or a conversation, or to leave a place if it’s too stressful.
Set boundaries for how much to read and when (not before bed), and for conversations that cause anxiety. Reading is better than watching. Our nervous systems aren’t made for constant bad news from all over the world.
Eat well, sleep well, walk in nature.
Meditate. I rely on deep breathing for 2 to 4 minutes: close eyes; sit with legs crossed at the ankles; relax muscles from face to feet; hands on lap or cross arms with hands on upper arms or shoulders, maybe gently patting alternate hands on arms during part of the time (butterfly tapping). Breathe in through nose for 4 seconds, hold for 3, blow out through mouth for 4 as if blowing out candles, rest, repeat. Gradually, by relaxing and by focusing on breathing, I re-center my thinking and regain a calm perspective. My blood pressure goes down.
Don’t dwell on what’s out of your control or what’s uncertain. Instead, focus on choosing your response to events.
Ask for help. Talk about your feelings. Connect with friends. Journal.
To feel empowered, actively resist in a way you’re comfortable with. Join with others.
Do what you love. Develop new skills.
Encourage someone else.
One more:

There is one powerful strategy that I haven’t seen much of lately, and have added to my Toolkit: humor. Remember what it feels like to laugh? To smile when you read? And it might even be about politics! Nicole Hollander’s books are always on my shelf: