Is political anxiety making you feel on edge, frustrated, or powerless? Join the club. You’re not alone.
The recent protests in Los Angeles against President Trump’s immigration deportation policies come at a time when it seems the entire country is experiencing massive upheaval, change, and uncertainty. Immigration, wars and conflicts, tariffs, the economy, layoffs, mass shootings — it’s enough to make anyone want to stay in bed.
You may not be able to control what’s going on around you, but you can control how you choose to respond to it. Managing political anxiety begins with protecting your mental health, staying grounded in your values, and finding healthy ways to make a difference.
What is political anxiety?
Political anxiety or political stress is a relatively new term used to describe feelings of uncertainty, instability, and distress over world events, government decisions, and societal shifts.
It was first used in 2005 to describe campaign messaging meant to fan strong feelings of fear, worry, or urgency among voters. By 2016, it had shifted to describe a general feeling of distress related to political events.
Since then, political anxiety has been steadily increasing. About 52% of Americans said they were stressed over the 2016 presidential election. During the 2024 election, that rate climbed to 69%.
Political anxiety is different from generalized anxiety, a clinical diagnosis that describes excessive or persistent worry about a range of everyday concerns, such as relationships, work, or finances. Political stress is not a clinical diagnosis. Rather, it is situational and specific to what’s going on politically at the time.
Signs of political anxiety or stress:
- Constantly worrying about political events or potential outcomes
- Feeling hopeless, helpless, or powerless to change what’s going on
- Emotional reactivity (anger, irritability) when discussing politics
- Difficulty sleeping due to ruminating about political situations
- Avoiding the news
- Compulsively checking the news
- Strained relationships due to disagreements over political views
- Exhaustion or burnout by activism
- A sense of dread or panic when thinking about politics
What causes political anxiety?
Political anxiety stems from feeling a lack of control over the decisions and events that impact our lives.
Living in a democracy means each voter has power over society’s destiny. We feel good going to the polls, but once an election is over, our options to change political tides can take extraordinary effort, commitment, and time.
Our options are generally limited to personally running for local office, advocating or campaigning for people and causes we believe in, boycotting corporations we disagree with, or taking to the streets to protest.
Trump’s decision to send thousands of troops to control protests in Los Angeles in June 2025 sparked heated debate over our First Amendment right to peaceably assemble. Did the vandalism that occurred during the protests give the federal government the right to intervene? Or was democracy truly “under assault” as California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed?
These situations can make people wonder: just how much control do I really have over my life? It’s this kind of question that can lead to existential anxiety, a deep and often unsettling experience where we confront core questions about our existence.
Why am I here? What happens when we die? Does life have any meaning? The answers we assign these questions often form the very values by which we live our lives. Having those values threatened or challenged can lead to political anxiety.
How does political anxiety affect us?
In some ways, how a person wrestles with political stress is similar to how a prisoner struggles to adjust to living in confinement. Political anxiety can cause us to experience:
- Hypervigilance and identity defense: Constantly scanning for threats to one’s opinion can cause people to be hyper-defensive of who they are and what they believe in.
- Overidentification with a group or cause: Tying our identity and sense of belonging to a larger community ideology may come at the expense of our own personal values.
- Power struggles: Disagreements and arguments stem more from the need to be heard or respected than the actual issue.
- Aggression: Feeling powerless, unheard, or overwhelmed may cause people to cut off relationships, “rage post” on social media, or even engage in violence.
- Learned helplessness: Repeated exposure to uncontrollable situations can result in emotional withdrawal, depression, and anxiety.
One of the biggest ways political anxiety affects us is through our relationships with others. Disagreements over politics can feel like personal affronts. We may feel our opinions are being dismissed, criticized, or even attacked by others.
The divisiveness over the 2016 election was so great that 10% of American couples said they ended a relationship over political differences. One notable case involved a 73-year-old woman who divorced her husband after 22 years because he voted for Trump and she felt betrayed.
It’s hard to imagine that people can ever talk civilly about politics. One survey conducted in May 2025 found that 72% of voters feel that the tone and civility in American politics has gotten even worse.5
What are healthy ways to cope with political anxiety?
Coping with political anxiety is all about feeling in control despite the chaos we feel around us. Grounding techniques like deep breathing can be hugely successful in calming us.
Much like generalized anxiety, deep breathing activates our parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” system. Doing this regulates the fight-or-flight response of our sympathetic nervous system.
Other coping strategies include:
- Ground yourself to the present: In addition to deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, and other grounding techniques can help you stay calm.
- Focus on what you control: Actively shift from thinking “Nothing I do will change anything” to “My actions — no matter how small — are part of creating the change I want to see.”
- Set boundaries with media: Limit doomscrolling by setting intentional check-ins. Make a point of seeking out positive stories where people are making a difference. Seek out diverse perspectives.
- Help others: Volunteering to support people and causes you believe in is a great way to show that what you do has an impact on the world.
- Take a stand and get involved: Support a campaign you believe in, connect with your legislative representatives, and practice your Constitutional right to peacefully protest.
- Practice active listening: Remember that everyone has a right to their opinion. Instead of immediately reacting, try to deeply listen to a person and reflect back what they said.
- Connect with supportive people: Avoid situations or social platforms where you know you’ll get riled up.
- Talk to a therapist: The support of a mental health professional can help you build coping skills and reframe negative thoughts and beliefs.
Key takeaways
- Political anxiety is increasing. Even though it is not a clinical diagnosis, political anxiety is real. It’s an emotional response to societal upheaval and government decisions that can leave us feeling powerless.
- Lack of control fuels political stress. Feeling powerless over what’s happening around us can lead to existential anxiety, aggression, or withdrawal.
- Political anxiety can strain relationships. When politics become personal, they can fracture and even permanently damage how we feel toward others.
- You can regain control. Healthy coping strategies can reduce our anxiety, help us feel more in control, and even empower us to make a difference.
Looking for mental health care services near you?
Pacific Mind Health offers medication management, therapy, and interventional treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and Spravato (esketamine) at our Los Angeles offices. Our experienced clinicians provide compassionate, evidence-based care to help you feel better.
Ready to take the next step? Schedule a consultation and start your mental health journey today.
