It is hard to take a reprieve from politics in the hyper-connected modern world. The various everyday habits we partake in, messages of every type of social media, news updates, and even casual conversations-the guy down the street, close family-meld together and often make it hard or impossible to take a break from politics. Staying informed is essential but can, quite frankly, chip away at our sanity when it gets a bit too much. The more political our minds, the more we create stress, anxiety, and even helplessness in ourselves to the point of feeling like there is nothing we can do. If this feeling is allowed to progress, it may drastically affect peaceful living and quality of life.
With that in mind, it is important not to be overly consumed by politics. More importantly, we take a deeper look at how refocusing your attention toward your daily life, personal values, and surroundings immediately around you can offer a much-needed reboot of the mind. While that may be true, political events shape our society and inform the future we will share, you will always have the greatest power over your own life and your own choices. Here’s how turning your attention within can bring a sense of calm and satisfaction to balance political influence on mental health.
The effect of politics news on mental health
Our brains aren’t wired to handle this glut of news that we get, but technology has made it quite easy to keep tuned in 24×7. And with the news on a 24×7 cycle, something is always happening, and usually framed as urgent or alarming. This kind of chronic exposure can result in “headline stress disorder”, so-called by psychologists. It describes anxiety precipitated by consuming a lot of news. If the subject is politics, the perceived stakes are seldom higher, and issues are usually personal in nature, which can profoundly stir feelings-an emotional outcome that, given the already highly charged situation, is even tougher to sort through.
Being overly interested in political content can affect us in ways that we might hardly imagine:
1. Political stress and anxiety
With the non-stop political news, the unpredictability causes the world to feel chaotic, as if from one moment to another anything can happen. That is wearing, not just intellectually, but rather emotionally burned out.
2. Increased cynicism
With all the political arguments and divisions around, a reason for concern is the cynicism people have started to develop. The negative way you start looking at things then makes it difficult to appreciate any good in everyday life.
3. Strained relationships
The preoccupation with political opinions may cause strained relationships with friends, family members, or coworkers because one feels or tends to feel differently. When the opinions clash, arguments or discomfort could wedge good, supportive relationships.
So, the point that I’m trying to make here is, paying attention to what’s going on in politics is commendable, but not at the detriment of your health. Rather than tuning out, it may actually be more productive to practice self-regulation by setting limits to your intake of political information. This way, your psyche rests and can come back refreshed and ready to keep your priorities in order.
Rediscovering the value of being present: how to deal with anxiety about politics
A good balance to this feeling of overwhelmingness from politics may be to bring yourself into the present and into your circle of influence. As one invests energy into the concrete and directly influential, one is likely to feel much more grounded and less disturbed by the challenges in society. Indeed, through this contact with everyday activities and aims, the continuity that appears reassuring develops-amidst a world where everything seems so unsure.
Here are some ways to manage political stress and reconnect you with life:
- Mindfulness practices: practice mindfulness activities in daily life, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. These activities will help keep one’s stress at bay, clear the mind, and remind one of the importance of focusing on what one can control.
- Gratitude exercises: devote some time each day to reflection on what you’re thankful for; even little things can make big differences in changing your perspective. Practicing gratitude is helpful in training the mind towards positives and letting your brain rest from political issues.
- Engagement in simple routines: One needs to get fully engaged in daily tasks-be it at your job, hobbies, cooking, or physical exercise-all these normally give one fulfillment that sometimes political debates do not provide. All these little things give you pleasure and satisfaction, reminding you of meaningful, everyday experiences beyond the realm of politics.
Converting political anxiety into positive engagement
Being politically active is great, yet most definitely can be counterproductive, getting consumed by it. Instead of obsessing about the most recent news reports or engaging in angry disputes, channel your energies into constructive things that are supportive of your values.
Consider the following ways for doing so:
- Volunteer with a purpose. Any care or cause can be joined in any local organization. In this manner, one can be actively involved without over-involving and emotional burnout, and at the same time connect with others.
- Support local initiatives. While larger political issues can often seem so very removed, there is much that can be done on a local level. When you contribute to your community, often tangible results of your efforts will be apparent, perhaps far more rewarding than simply following divisive national debates.
- Educate, don’t argue. If you wish to express your views, instead engage others through conversations based on mutual respect, not arguments. That would be constructive dialogue and the building of understanding without conflict.
Finding fulfillment outside politics
When the political situation is pressing, it is easy to be drawn into the news. But your life is much more than politics. Avoiding news for mental health and focusing your time on joy can help shift your perspective from the reactive to the creative.
To keep politics out of mental health, try these activities:
- Take up new hobbies: painting, gardening, playing an instrument, cooking. In addition to great ways of distracting one from politics, these are also opportunities to discover new sources of happiness.
- Re-ignite old passions: go back to interests you may have left behind a while back. Rediscovery of an old hobby can be refreshing for life and hence balance it.
- Set personal goals: anything from traveling more, starting your own small business, or a new fitness goal-the pursuit can grant accomplishment not affected by turbulent politics.
Development of a larger life perspective
When politics feels overwhelming, the most helpful thing is to step back and view it from the big picture. Every issue, movement, and debate fall within an ongoing story, and history has proved repeatedly that nothing is permanent in a political climate. Those aspects that give meaning to life, such as love, personal development, and purpose, are indeed independent of political trends, since they remain invariable.
Expansion of view can be done in many ways. It can be through:
- Learning from history: to learn from history is to know how societies have been torn apart and have survived trauma. This helps put events into perspective.
- Regular self-reflection: take time and reflect on what, other than politics, is important to you. Think about what legacy you’d like to leave and the differences you’re able to make in the everyday details.
- Converge to a common humanity: persons of different political persuasions often have more in common than one may think. Respect and explore different opinions: empathy can reduce polarization, drawing one closer to persons with whom one may disagree.
Dealing with political anxiety: inner peace over political stress
Ultimately, shielding your mind from political stress relates to inner tranquility. In the place of focusing on politics, as you put your focus on your personal life, you will be able to better cope with stress, take your relationships more seriously, and achieve a level of fulfillment in a way that is more meaningful than all that is happening today. Life is just too short, wasting your time over every political fray. Paying attention to what occupies the space in your head is a conscious act of empowering you towards a wholesome and fulfilling existence.
Your mind is your greatest treasure. Be selective in what you feed it. Being on top of current events is one thing, but a healthy life knows when to draw the line. Reclaim your serenity: put your energy into what you do have control over, nurture those relationships, and live with purpose. It needs to be reiterated: the way you spend your days is how you will spend your life. Live intentionally.
