Coping with Anxiety in a Post-Election World

Just a little about me. Throughout my career, I've worked as a clinical therapist in an outpatient anxiety program at a hospital and now focus exclusively on my private practice. The day after the election when there was no longer any doubt about the results, I saw a sharp upswing in anxiety and fear as well as sadness, anger, and frustration.

I also noticed people presented as feeling hopeless, cynical, disconnected from their fellow Americans, and had a general feeling of helplessness. Full disclosure—I initially felt a lot of those same things, and much of what I am about to say is a result of my experiences both personally and professionally.

So what do we do with all of this? How do we move forward when we feel stuck in anxiety or anger? Here are a few strategies.

1. Ground Yourself

Anxiety lives in the future. It loves "what if" scenarios. The antidote to anxiety is the present moment. Practice grounding techniques to bring yourself back to the here and now.

Feel your feet on the floor. Notice the temperature of the air. Listen to the sounds around you. Remind yourself: "Right now, in this moment, I am safe." This doesn't fix the world's problems, but it gives your nervous system a break so you can think clearly.

2. Limit Media Consumption

The 24-hour news cycle is designed to keep you agitated. It profits from your anxiety. Set boundaries. Maybe you check the news once a day for 15 minutes, or maybe you take a complete break for a week.

Notice how you feel when you are glued to the screen versus when you step away. Give yourself permission to disconnect. The important news will still find you; you don't need to hunt for it every hour.

3. Process Your Feelings

Don't spiritual bypass your feelings or try to "positive vibes only" your way out of this. If you are sad, be sad. If you are angry, be angry. Feelings are information. They tell us what matters to us.

Journal about them. Talk to a trusted friend or therapist. Cry if you need to. Suppressing emotions takes a huge amount of energy and often leads to them exploding later in unrelated ways.

4. Values-Based Action

Anxiety makes us feel helpless. Action gives us agency. But not just any action—action aligned with your values.

If you are worried about the environment, what is one small thing you can do locally? If you are worried about kindness, how can you be kind to your neighbor today? Focus on your "sphere of influence." You might not be able to change national policy today, but you can change how you show up in your community.

5. Compassion (for self and others)

This is a time for radical compassion. Be gentle with yourself. You are navigating a stressful time.

And, as hard as it might be, try to extend compassion to others—even those you disagree with. We are all operating from our own fears, hurts, and histories. This doesn't mean you have to agree with them or accept harmful behavior, but holding onto hatred only poisons you.