How to Mentally Survive Politics 101

Image by Catherine Song at Verywell

The past few months have been incredibly polarized politically. I have seen too many posts captioned ‘unfollow me if you don’t agree with this’ or ‘block me if you believe this’ but in reality, it should have been ‘tell me why you think this’ or ‘help me understand this’. My freshman year roommate had almost the opposite political views as me and my other friends could not grasp how she was one of the most important people in my life. Yes, at times it was the most stressful relationship in my life, but we pushed each other to learn more about opposing views and became stronger in our knowledge.

Mutual respect and understanding in regard to political differences is the balance we should be looking for. Activism has no meaning if you don’t go out and understand other people’s views, it airs on the side of performative if you have a closed mind. I realize that this is not easy for everyone, so not talking about politics is okay as well. It’s refreshing to have relationships in which politics is not a factor. It’s okay to turn off the news and it’s definitely okay to take a break. Prioritize yourself, but make sure to educate yourself.

My Takeaways:

1. Politics is stressful, make sure to check in with yourself and those around you — Understanding politics and policies can be hard and incredibly stressful. It’s important to check in with yourself and those around you and make sure no one is overwhelmed.
2. Make sure to take a break from the news and politics in general — I personally have the news on every evening or I make sure to check the news morning. However, I make sure to take a 2–3 day break from this every now and then to clear my mind and relax. Sometimes Washington can get mind-boggling! Give your mind time to rejuvenate.
3. Make sure to respect everyone’s views — You never know how or why someone has formed their political views. Make sure to respect everyone’s views even if you strongly disagree with them. It’s easy to get carried away during debates and arguments but remember mutual respect is key.
4. Do not adopt arguments solely because they correspond with your ‘political party’ — Make sure to keep an open mind. You do not always have to agree with the party you identify with. It’s okay to explore other views. Always remember to do as much research as you can on policy and how it will affect you.

(contributed by Anishka Sama, marketing intern with VotingSmarter)