Managing stress in 2025

I wrote this piece for a friend, author Linda Lundgren's, website. See the original here, along with more excellent writing: https://www.asurvivalstory.com/all-blogs/managing-political-stress-in-2025

I left a lot of stress behind at this spot on Vancouver Island in August, 2024

Linda’s intro: “The following piece was written by my friend, Amanda. I have known Amanda since she was a teenager. I ice skated on the same ice surfaces as she did, followed her career through college, graduate school, and watched her raise a beautiful family. Now she is a practicing therapist and writer. I enjoy her Substack and see how committed she is to helping others and makes time to enjoy nature and commune with others who share a love of music. I invited Amanda to write an article about coping with stress during the current political upheaval in our country. I’m sure you will not only enjoy her article but also find strategies that will ease anxiety.”

— Linda Lundgren

Managing Stress caused by the political upheaval in 2025 is no small task.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Colorado. I specialize in working through difficult life transitions, recovering from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and creating a healthier, fulfilling life. I’d like to offer some strategies that might help you with managing stress in this difficult time in our country and across the world.

Prioritize yourself. It’s easy to forget to prioritize self-care when life is turned upside down. In the past couple of weeks, general anxiety and worry about the future has transformed into crisis management. Before, a dark storm loomed in the distance. Now, the hurricane is here, pounding us and threatening to sweep us away if we don’t protect ourselves. It’s like the early days of the pandemic when life changed minute to minute, and we faced a multitude of losses. I learned some lessons during that time about protecting mental wellness and overall health that I’ll share with you.

As is true in any situation, if your mental state is interfering with your enjoyment of life or your daily functioning, it needs attention and care. If you don’t know where to start, speak to your primary care physician about your concerns or call 988 to speak to a crisis counselor anytime, anywhere in the U.S. Call or text options are available: https://www.988colorado.com/en

Mindfulness matters. Simply put, mindfulness is nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance of the present moment. The term encompasses formal practices, such as meditation and yoga, as well as informal practices such as tuning into the present moment through “simple awareness.” Simple awareness is neutral observation of a moment, like a snapshot capturing what’s happening internally and externally. For example, right now if I pay attention to the moment, here’s what I notice:

“I’m sitting alone at my kitchen table. I’m aware of my partner reading in the next room. My breath is a little tight (felt just below my ribs) as I contemplate the best wording to use. I can hear the gurgle of our kitty’s water fountain, the hum of the heat coming on, and the distant sound of a jet plane overhead. My body feels cool. I feel neutral, without any strong emotions. My thoughts are focused on the task at hand. I can feel the pressure of my body in my seat and my legs crossed. When I pay attention to my breath, I deepen it to engage my diaphragm, and the tightness releases. As I bring awareness to my body, I notice soreness along my spine, arms and in my abdominal muscles from yoga and dance yesterday.”

Mindfulness education. During the pandemic, I took a free online course in mindfulness at https://palousemindfulness.com/. I highly recommend this training, though there are many options for learning mindfulness with books, apps, and videos, all readily available. There is no need to pay for these materials, as you can access them from many sources for free.

When you practice formal meditation on a regular basis, mindfulness becomes a part of your skill set. Over time, without focusing on the skill, you will naturally tune in to the present. Even though I’m no longer practicing formal mindfulness with meditation daily, I notice the improvement in my ability to tune in nonjudgmentally to the present moment. With this awareness comes emotional regulation, decreased stress and anxiety, and the ability to slow down and decide how to respond instead of being swept up in emotions and losing control. We can learn to respond instead of reacting.

Body scan meditation. I was reminded of the positive impact of mindfulness recently when I guided a client through a three-minute body-scan exercise during our session. With eyes closed, sitting comfortably on a loveseat with their feet on the floor, I asked them to tune into their breath and bring awareness to their body from head to toe. I guided them to pay attention to all the sensations they experienced as they thought about specific parts of their body, allowing tension to release with each breath. I asked them to share what they noticed during the exercise. Like most people, they felt more relaxed afterwards. They identified where they were holding tension in their shoulders and neck and it dissolved with attention and deep breaths. The next week, when they came to therapy, they told me that they had used the body scan several times throughout their daily life. They noticed they felt less emotionally reactive and were feeling more peaceful as a result. Now they were ready to work through a situation that was causing them distress. The magic of using the skill is: When we tune in, we get to cultivate life to be the way we want it to be. It allows us to be intentional in our choices and actions.

Ways to practice mindfulness:

· Jot down your feelings in a journal or talk to a friend or therapist. It’s remarkable how naming or voicing something lightens its impact.

· Do a short body scan as I described. You can find many free guided body scans online and on the homepage of the mindfulness training at www.palousemindfulness.com

· Visualize a scene that brings you peace. Allow yourself to be completely immersed and tune into all your senses, in detail. For example, visualize the scene down to your toes touching the grass and feeling the coolness of the earth. Read more about the power of visualization on my blog.

· Take a yoga class or follow a free You-Tube video such as Yoga with Adrienne: http://www.youtube.com/@yogawithadriene. Do something with your hands, like drawing, knitting, or wood-working – something that engages your mind fully and doesn’t allow you to ruminate on thoughts.

· Practice creativity for the experience, not the product or the outcome. Quiet your inner critic. Doodle, paint, cook, sing, or dance, are some examples.

· Move your body. Exercise improves mental wellness and decreases anxiety and depression.

· Spend time in nature; take time to just be. Connection to our natural environment is healing.

· Practice “simple awareness,” as described earlier, the skill of tuning into the present moment.

· Try meditation. Learn how by taking a class, following an app, book, audio, or video. One app I recommend is Insight Timer, which has thousands of free guided meditations. Some health plans offer subscriptions to paid apps such as Calm or Headspace.

Now what? As my friend, a licensed therapist, says, “Focus energy on what you can control or change, and let go of the rest.”

Seek community. Connect with others. Whether you are discussing current events in a supportive way or focusing on a shared interest, social connection is beneficial and a foundation of wellness.

I noticed the effect of social connection in my personal life recently. Last year, I joined a local book club with my 82-year-old mom. Since the pandemic, her world had become isolated, and it had taken a toll on her wellbeing. We have gone to several meetings and are getting to know the regular attendees. The book club helps motivate me to read more and finish books so we can discuss them. The monthly gatherings enhance both our lives. We learn from each other’s viewpoints and lived experiences while making new friends and enjoying delicious food.

As another example, some of my clients have joined groups in their communities, taken a class, or volunteered for a local nonprofit – all activities which create more meaning in life and provide connection with others. Check your local library or recreation center for activities.

On meetup.com, (free registration & groups), a website and app focused on bringing people together, you can host a gathering or find a gathering to attend in your community on a multitude of topics and activities. One client found a discussion group on a topic that interested him and attended a dinner at a restaurant near his home. Despite his initial discomfort with meeting new people, he connected with several people there and thoroughly enjoyed it. He said the impact on his wellbeing was even greater than medication for reducing anxiety and depression. Now, he’s found a few friends that meet regularly, and he’s even hosted his own groups.

Make time to be with people. Isolation fuels depression. Sometimes, logistical barriers such as cost or scheduling get in the way of participating in an organized activity. In that case, visit a public space. Go to the library, coffee shop, or a park to connect with people in an unstructured setting. Watching little kids play can lift your spirits. Reading a hardcover or paperback book can lead to an enjoyable conversation.

Focus on your sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Before you go to sleep at night or the first thing in the morning, give yourself a few minutes to plan how you’ll support your wellness the next day. Take a minute to visualize doing the activity. This practice helps me remember to dedicate the time in my schedule, bring my sneakers & jacket, or reach out to a friend to join me on a walk.

Engage your creativity. Notice the change in mindset when you give yourself time to indulge in creativity. For me, writing fiction is a wonderful outlet and stress relief. Try a coloring book or a puzzle. Learn an instrument or engage in any activity that will put your brain in creativity mode.

Spend quality time with friends and family. Another gem from my therapist friend: “Connect with friends that refill your energy and friends that make you laugh.” I’ll add, keep your boundaries, and devote time to people you enjoy.

Support tangible action & take action. In recent weeks, the mantra I’ve heard the most is, “I need to do something. I can’t just put my head in the sand.” We each need to find our personal balance. This can be accomplished by taking care of ourselves, and feeling connected and productive. One of the foundations of connection is empathy: Listening and bearing witness to other’s experiences and honoring our own.

I’m leaning into family, friendships, my professional peers, and reading books that inspire me. Find the people doing the work behind the changes you want. Read about them. Donate or follow them. Write to them. Join them.

Take media breaks. Be aware of how and when consuming news or talking about issues affects you. Each of us should find what works best to maintain our mental wellness. One thing I’ve done is make my morning routine focused on reading fiction for pleasure, instead of reading about current events or checking social media. It’s helping me begin my day on an even keel. I take a short time later in the day to tune in and give current events my full attention.

Go to therapy. I’m a believer in the power of therapy. In that space, you can talk through how and why events are affecting you. Each of us has our soft spots, areas of tenderness that resulted from our personal experiences and uniquely affect us. These soft spots are like healed-over wounds that get roughed up in times of stress. It can be invaluable to discuss them in therapy. There are a variety of therapies that help: individual therapy, group therapy, couples therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, animal assisted therapy – There is something out there for everyone.

Thank you for reading this blog. Read more of my writing on mental wellness and fiction at https://substack.com/@amandarussellwriting and by subscribing so you’ll receive new posts.

I don’t receive any compensation from sharing the links in this article. They are some that I’ve used and found helpful, and I hope you will too.

Sending love and light,

Amanda