How to Stay Politically Engaged While Protecting Your Mental Health

It's a difficult, scary time in American politics. You may be feeling worried for the safety and well-being of yourself and your loved ones while also feeling anxious about the future of democracy. The policies being enacted by the current administration may have a direct impact on you and your community, whether it's the threat of deportations, being targeted for your gender identity, or the possibility of losing your job. Balancing your mental health and daily life while staying informed and active may feel impossible even if you feel relatively privileged and unlikely to experience direct harm from current political policies. This blog outlines some healthy coping strategies for staying engaged and creating sustainability even when political news and events are causing you stress and anxiety. 

First, Your Feelings Are Valid

If you're feeling anxious, stressed, or scared right now, it's because you're a human being with empathy. It's important to take a moment to feel your feelings rather than ignoring them or getting frustrated with yourself when you find it hard to focus at work, stay mentally present with loved ones, or feel joy. Your feelings are a sign that your humanity is still intact.

That being said, it’s all too easy to get burnt out by doom-scrolling, obsessing over the news, or giving too much of yourself without making time to rest and care for your own needs. If we want to stay in touch with our humanity in this challenging time, we have to be strategic about our time and attention so that we have the energy to care for ourselves and our communities and stand up for our values. 

Six Therapy Tips on How to Stay Politically Engaged without Getting Burnt Out: 

1. Schedule Your Exposure to the News (And Your Feelings About It) 

If you find that you’re struggling to disengage with your worry, schedule it. Pick 30 minutes or an hour once or twice a day when you can read articles, check in on groups you’re active in, and feel your feelings about current events. Setting time aside allows you to be more present in the moment while knowing you will also make space for the parts of you that are activated due to fear, anger, and grief.

2. Evaluate & Adjust Your Social Media Use

Examine what purpose social media is serving you and what your limitations are:

• If it’s for political updates and interaction, engage with it in a more structured way. Some social media websites have a time limit feature – use that, or set an alarm so you don’t get lost doom scrolling.

• If it’s for socializing, community engagement, and watching cute cat videos, hide individuals who post political rhetoric, double-check the settings that allow you to only see accounts you follow, and curate your algorithm the best you can so that your social feeds are the reprieve you need. This might mean avoiding certain social media platforms temporarily or leaving them entirely, and that’s okay. 

3. Check In with Your Own Needs

With politics so overwhelming right now (and much of it out of our control), it’s important to check in with yourself on what you need and what might be adding to the overwhelm. Maybe you need more or less time with friends and family; maybe you need to engage in activities that are less likely to overstimulate you due to noise or bright screens; maybe you need a cozy game moment rather than video games that are stressful or competitive. Maybe your body and mind need you to carve out time for a nap so you can get some literal rest. Whatever your needs may be, the most important thing is to honor them by gauging your overwhelm often and finding healthy ways to decompress.

4. Don’t Forgo Self Care 

Drink water, eat regularly, take your meds, and get enough sleep. These acts are essential to maintaining your energy, perspective, and emotional resilience. Because times of continued stress and trauma often require us to take care of ourselves differently, take some time to also check in with yourself about your normal self care routine – does any of it need to change? What do you need to add in or take away? 

5. Engage with the things that bring you joy. 

Many activists have said it before, and that’s because it’s true: joy is resistance. Engaging in joy intentionally is a great way to affirm your humanity, remember what matters to you, and be reminded that it can exist even when the world feels scary and unsafe. 

6. Find Sustainable Ways to Engage with Your Values & Support Your Communities 

Be upfront with yourself about what you have the capacity for so you can set realistic expectations. Know your capacity might change day to day or week to week; it’s okay to take breaks if it means you won’t burn out. Remember that you’re not an island; you’re part of a bigger community working together through daily acts to create meaningful change. Here are some practical ways to engage with your values without getting burnt out:

• Write your representatives: your alderpeople, senators, congresspeople, attorney generals, etc. 

• Donate to mutual aid groups and causes that align with your values

• Support local businesses and be aware of boycotts happening for large corporations that may be supporting harmful initiatives

• Volunteer with community organizations 

• Check in on friends, family, and community members who might be affected by the actions of the current administration

7. Seek Support From a Therapist If You Need It 

If you’re struggling to cope with political stress and anxiety on your own, you’re not alone. It’s okay to bring this up in therapy or to seek a therapist to discuss your feelings. 

ABOUT ECC: 

Empowered Connections Counseling is a practice of licensed therapists providing quality, multidisciplinary counseling for adults, children & teens, relationships, and families in Chicago and across Illinois. Whether by in-person session or via telehealth, we work with clients to find the therapist and treatment methods that best suit their needs. Connect meaningfully with your life by booking an appointment today.

5 Tips for Managing Social Anxiety

At one point or another, most people will experience embarrassment and fears of acceptance, but for some, this experience is much more acute. For a person with social anxiety, going to a party, having a one-on-one conversation with a stranger or acquaintance, or joining a new social circle through work or school can induce panic and uncomfortable physical symptoms such as sweating, flushing, increased heart rate, racing thoughts, and more. The acute anxiety and dread may even lead people to avoid certain situations to their own detriment, making life hard to enjoy—limiting their relationships, as well as professional or recreational ambitions. But there is help for people living with social anxiety! If you suspect that you have social anxiety, you do not have to manage it alone. Read on for tips and information about how social anxiety can be treated through mental health therapy. 

What is Social Anxiety? 

One of the most important things to understand about social anxiety disorder is that it is a mental health issue, not a personality trait such as shyness or introversion. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5, criteria for social anxiety includes:

• Persistent, intense fear or anxiety about specific social situations because you believe you may be judged negatively, embarrassed or humiliated

• Avoidance of anxiety-producing social situations or enduring them with intense fear or anxiety

• Excessive anxiety that's out of proportion to the situation

• Anxiety or distress that interferes with your daily living

• Fear or anxiety that is not better explained by a medical condition, medication, or substance abuse

Social anxiety is also distinct from conditions like agoraphobia, although they are both anxiety disorders with some overlapping symptoms, like avoidance and staying home. Whereas agoraphobia is a fear of being in a place that will trigger panic (e.g., an elevator), social anxiety is relational–it is a fear of being embarrassed or offending others, or being rejected by others.

When to Seek Professional Help for Social Anxiety

An estimated seven percent of American adults have social anxiety, with 75% experiencing the onset of social anxiety symptoms as teenagers. If you’ve noticed an increase in the volume and intensity of anxious thought patterns in the last few years since the COVID-19 pandemic, you aren’t alone — it’s estimated that social anxiety disorders rose more than 25% globally since 2020. 

When your social anxiety begins to interfere with your everyday life, it’s time to seek professional help from a mental health provider. For example:

• If you are frequently avoiding social situations at work, school, or with friends and family

• If you are unable to participate in activities you enjoy or want to do

• If your anxiety is causing you to have trouble sleeping or concentrating 

• If you are struggling with maladaptive coping behaviors such as alcohol or drug abuse 

• If you have feelings of self-loathing or even suicidal thoughts because of your anxiety and isolation

• If you experience physical distress such as panic attacks, headaches, chronic pain, or digestive issues when you are in a social setting, or anticipating a social event

You do not have to manage this alone. A trusted mental health professional can help you, in person or virtually. 

Types of Therapy that Can Help Treat Social Anxiety

There are a few different therapeutic approaches that a therapist may try to help treat your social anxiety: 

• Mindfulness meditation during therapy sessions can be very helpful when it comes to treating social anxiety because it teaches you how to relax your mind and your body.

• Art therapy can also be very beneficial to treating social anxiety because you can learn how to regulate your emotions through art, which can also help relax your mind and body. Art therapy can also be utilized at home in moments when social anxiety is present.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a form of talk therapy, and through it your therapist can help you learn to identify specific thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are fueling your distress. From there, you can begin to explore those feelings and reframe them into more helpful beliefs.

A multidisciplinary approach to therapy can combine different approaches like mindfulness and art therapy practices with more traditional forms of treatment like CBT to give clients multiple tools and skills to access in different situations where social anxiety comes into play. 

For some people, social anxiety is very acute. In cases where mindfulness, art therapy, or CBT are not enough to effectively manage social anxiety, a therapist will refer the client to a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication.

5 Tips You Can Try Right Now to Ease Social Anxiety

Social anxiety disorder can leave people feeling helpless, but there are steps you can take to disrupt anxious thought patterns, find confidence, and connect with others. Below are some tips that may be helpful to ease social anxiety:

• Challenge your negative thoughts: Sometimes it can feel as if you have no control, but when you challenge negative thoughts, it can disrupt the flow of anxiety and give you time to pause, notice how irrational they are, and dismiss them. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to disrupt negative thought patterns that fuel anxiety: 

• Is there evidence for my thought? 

• Is there evidence contrary to my thought? 

• What would a friend or loved one think about this? 

• Will this matter in six months? A year? Five years? 

• Work on your breathing: When you feel anxious, your body can experience an increased heart rate, pounding chest, muscle tension, sweatiness, along with other physical symptoms. By learning how to slow down your breath you can ground yourself to calm your nervous system and your anxious thoughts. For example, box breathing is a simple but powerful technique to help regulate your mind and body when you’re feeling anxious.

• Be kind to yourself: Dealing with social anxiety is not easy, and sometimes it can feel frustrating to struggle to interact with others; however, remind yourself that nobody is perfect, and that you should not feel embarrassed. Give yourself the same grace that you would give to others. 

• Talking to others can be hard when you are dealing with social anxiety; however, by challenging yourself to interact with others you can start to build positive experiences and the emotional resilience to feel comfortable and confident. 

• Bring awareness to your environment by using your five senses by naming: 

• 5 things you can see 

• 4 things you can feel 

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste
  

Social Anxiety Therapists in Chicago

At ECC Chicago, we’re committed to working with patients to find the right therapeutic method and therapist to suit your needs. Our diverse group of licensed therapists offer a multidisciplinary approach to social anxiety treatment, often combining different mindfulness, art therapy and somatic practices, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to suit our clients’ unique needs. We will also refer you to a psychiatrist for additional support if we think a medication prescription will be beneficial in treating a condition like social anxiety disorder. 

If you’re struggling with social anxiety, ECC Chicago is here to help. Reach out to schedule an intake session today. Together we can help you connect meaningfully with your life. 

About ECC: 

Empowered Connections Counseling is a practice of licensed therapists providing quality, multidisciplinary counseling for adults, children & teens, relationships, and families in Chicago and across Illinois. Whether by in-person session or via telehealth, we work with clients to find the therapist and treatment methods that best suit their needs. Connect meaningfully with your life by booking an appointment today.

New Year, New Regrets? How Examining Regret Can Propel You Forward

As we settle into 2023, for some of us it is time to wonder:  Will we or won’t we follow through on our resolutions? Or are we already regretting the goals we made for ourselves?   

Before we review new resolutions,  I want to suggest a moment to look back.  Instead of looking up the mountain for all you want to accomplish or change in the new year, take a minute to look down your mountain and acknowledge how far you have come in the last year.  

Write down some of your accomplishments from last year.  No paper?  Say them out loud.  

I encourage you to call someone and tell them what you are proud of – better yet – start the  conversation–ask the person on the other end of the call to “look down their mountain”.  Have them tell you something they are proud of from the past year. 

It isn’t bragging, it is empowering.  

Along with accomplishments, I confess, I have a lot of regrets from the past year.  I have been taught my entire life from bad bumper stickers “NO REGRETS!” to religious acts (Confession?!) that regrets are something to avoid.  And although we are bound to make some mistakes, the act of embracing regret certainly has been frowned upon.  

Instead of avoiding these mistakes or missed opportunities, what about examining our regrets?  Daniel Pink, in his nonfiction book: The Power or Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, compiles quantitative data to support the importance of reflecting on those things we regret the most.  Pink not only uses science to support his claim, but he gives us permission to embrace our regrets!  

Pink breaks regret into four types:

1. Foundation Regrets

2. Moral Regrets

3. Connection Regrets

4. Boldness Regrets 

Pink explains each type has something to teach humans about what they value: “foundation regrets” reveal a need for stability, “connection regrets”, the need for love, “moral regret”, the need for goodness and “boldness regrets” suggest a need for growth.   If so many of us are living with regret, how do we maximize our regrets to live a more fulfilling life?   Pink goes on to describe a three step strategy: inward, outward, forward.  He also suggests a number of exercises to support these ideas.  

A month into the new year and already I have a few regrets. Instead of punishing myself, I am going to review Pink’s exercises and remember that looking backward can move me forward.  

Read or listen more about Pink’s theory on regret:  How examining our regrets can make for a more meaningful life

5 Quick Ways to Manage Anxiety

Anxiety gets the best of us from time-to-time. In this blog post you will find five quick practical ways to manage anxiety, some takeaways to plan ahead, and other tips you can implement when you feel like the anxiety is building up.

Engage Your Senses

Often anxiety will build into sweeping thoughts and an intense emotional experience. Using the sense of touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing allows you to escape your internal experience by using your external experience to get lost in the moment.

Breathe with Mantra

If we can remember back to the nightmare that was gym class, telling ourselves as we were running laps, “just one more. I can do this!” while controlling your asthmatic breathing, we can use the same concept with anxiety. When we focus on a concept, we can force it into existence. Calm words, breed calm thoughts. Calm thoughts, breed calm experiences. 

Schedule and Follow

A lot of anxiety could be eliminated if we scheduled our day in a predictable way, to understand what emotions we can prepare for. Not just our work obligations and the exciting new restaurant we are going to on the weekend, but the boring things like laundry, and necessities like cooking, grocery shopping, seeing friends, and cleaning your home. This allows us to anticipate the future and be able to plan accordingly. 

What You Eat Matters

The old saying is true, when you eat well, you feel well. When we eat healthier foods, we feel better and we can better control our anxiety, instead of our anxiety controlling us. Eating more fruits and vegetables, while lowering our sugar and carbohydrates will help you with anxiety.

 Exercise

When we move during exercise serotonin is increased, which is a natural anti-anxiety neuro-chemical. Taking a morning walk and talking to a friend can help make exercise more enjoyable than a dreaded activity. 

Further Resources:

Podcast – Huberman Lab: How Food and Nutrient Control Our Moods. Dr. Andrew Huberman is an associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology.

Blog – Men’s Health: Eat These Food to Beat Anxiety  

Drew Ramsey, MD gives several food that can help reduce anxiety.

Book – Chatter: The Voice in Our head, Why It Matters, and Hot to Harness It

National Bestseller and Conscious mind expert Dr. Ethan Kross’ book on helping calm the inner voice.

Your Brain and Booze

Have you ever had a night out where everyone consumed so much alcohol that everyone was drunk? Maybe it was fun and elating at the start of the night, then quickly turned to drama?  One of your friends said something hurtful, and your other friends tried to comfort you by saying, “they didn’t mean that, they are drunk” or “their personality changes after they’ve had alcohol”. These are common statements you might hear when alcohol is involved, the personality of the person changes. In reality, our brain chemistry is being impacted by alcohol, and there is still much to be learned about how.

Alcohol is known as a depressant, however research shows that as you begin to consume alcohol, your BAC (blood alcohol content) is rising. As the night progresses and the drinking starts to slow down, the alcohol acts more as a sedative. This can explain the behaviors at the start of the night where we might be feeling a burst of energy and rowdy, then as the night progresses we feel more fatigue and confusion. 

Although there are years of research, there’s still much to be learned in terms of neuroscience impact. One study looked at the brain chemistry and possible linkage between norepinephrine and a major neurotransmitter inhibitor called gamma-Aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA (Banerjee. 2014).  Due to alcohol acting as a depressant with similar chemical qualities such as valium, norepinephrine production increases. Norepinephrine affects the GABA receptors, which is responsible for regulating the nervous system (Georgetown Behavioral Hospital, 2021). 

The nervous system communicates with our body and controls important functions such as our balance/walking ability, breathing, thinking, our 5 senses, and more (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2018). When this is impaired, our ability to control our motor function slows down and reduces our ability to think and respond to situations quickly, causing those “drunk nights” out. 

Another study found through a PET scan that the prefrontal cortex and temporal cortex in the brain showed the greatest decrease in activity. This could conclude an impairment in decision making and rational thought, as the prefrontal cortex is responsible for these processes. Inside the temporal cortex, the hippocampus is responsible for developing new memories. However, with the decrease in activity to this region of the brain as well, this could explain the reason for people not remembering their activities from the night before (Gowin, 2010).

We still have much to learn regarding neuroscience and its correlation with alcohol and GABA. Knowledge is power when consuming alcohol. Knowing its impact on brain activity can bring clarity to a lot of the confusion that might come with a long night of it.

Sources:

Banerjee N. (2014). Neurotransmitters in alcoholism: A review of neurobiological and genetic studies. Indian journal of human genetics, 20(1), 20–31. https://doi.org/10.4103/0971-6866.132750

Georgetown Behavioral Hospital. (2021). GABA and alcohol: How drinking leads to anxiety. Retrieved from: https://www.gbhoh.com/gaba-and-alcohol-how-drinking-leads-to-anxiety/ 

Gowin, J. (2010) Your Brain on Alcohol: Is the conventional wisdom wrong about booze? Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/you-illuminated/201006/your-brain-alcohol#:~:text=Elevated%20levels%20of%20norepinephrine%20increase,ups%20happen%20after%20happy%20hour

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2018). What are the parts of the nervous system. Retrieved from: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/neuro/conditioninfo/parts#:~:text=The%20nervous%20system%20has%20two,all%20parts%20of%20the%20body.