{"id":86195,"date":"2025-05-27T14:32:01","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T18:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/?post_type=resource&#038;p=86195"},"modified":"2025-07-24T11:43:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:43:37","slug":"political-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Political Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"86195\" class=\"elementor elementor-86195 elementor-86181\" data-elementor-post-type=\"resource\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ccc0eb4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4ccc0eb4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a976590 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2a976590\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;slideshow&quot;,&quot;background_slideshow_gallery&quot;:[],&quot;background_slideshow_loop&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;background_slideshow_slide_duration&quot;:5000,&quot;background_slideshow_slide_transition&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;,&quot;background_slideshow_transition_duration&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5897ff20 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5897ff20\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-da35134 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"da35134\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d6362ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1d6362ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Coping With Political Anxiety<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-23f212c3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"23f212c3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a4c07df e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2a4c07df\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b01c5a2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1b01c5a2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-640244df elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"640244df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Published: May 2025<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-319a6a97 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"319a6a97\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69324c2c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"69324c2c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>Political anxiety \u2013 yes, it\u2019s a thing.<\/li><li>Stay informed, but in moderation.<\/li><li>Focus on what you can control.<\/li><li>Engage in positive actions rather than dwelling on stressful events.<\/li><li>Take care of your mental and physical health.<\/li><\/ul><p>You\u2019re not alone: economic uncertainty, job instability, and divisive political discourse are weighing people down. According to political psychologist <strong>Amanda Friesen<\/strong> and social worker <strong>Stefanie Peachey<\/strong>, many people in Canada are experiencing symptoms ranging from sleep loss to emotional exhaustion as they struggle to process rapid societal changes. There is a fine line between staying engaged and experiencing emotional burnout. Here are practical tools for navigating political anxiety and regaining control.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b2c8a42 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b2c8a42\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dcb0fc1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"dcb0fc1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21b47e7b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"21b47e7b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-794360ce e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"794360ce\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75056713 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"75056713\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32ed80f8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"32ed80f8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13ce3601 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"13ce3601\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Acknowledge the Reality<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71a9392b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"71a9392b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60c25e4d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"60c25e4d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Did things get weird? Yes, we all likely have a point in time where things felt different, or perhaps it is a cumulative effect of a rapid amount of change. You are not alone; in the wake of rapid changes in the past several months, many psychology experts and mental health counsellors across Canada have reported an increase in the number of clients confiding anxieties brought on by contemplating how political and societal changes will affect them.<\/p><p>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of general anger and disbelief,\u201d says Stefanie Peachey, a registered social worker, accredited family mediator, and founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacheycounselling.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peachey Counselling and Family Support<\/a> in Burlington and Oakville, Ontario.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31c65b00 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"31c65b00\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6704d8c3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6704d8c3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-772bb834 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"772bb834\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a3d4de1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a3d4de1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-744831d3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"744831d3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Manage Information Overload<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fe27d9e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5fe27d9e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>There is a lot of information out there, some of it may even be important if it impacts your life, but there is barely time to process one bit of bad news before another emerges. So, what can people do? Friesen suggests \u201csetting up an intentional, formalized strategy\u201d for consuming news.<\/p><p><strong>Set Up a News Consumption Strategy<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Subscribe to a few trusted sources and set a time limit to avoid endless scrolling.<\/li><li>Sign up for daily or weekly summaries instead of following constant updates.<\/li><li>Compartmentalize news intake by setting specific times for reading it, rather than letting them dominate your day.<\/li><li>Avoid consuming news before bedtime to prevent sleep disturbances.<\/li><li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Avoid Doomscrolling<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Resist jumping from one news article to another obsessively.<\/li><li>Limit exposure to hateful rhetoric and polarizing discussions online.<\/li><li>Set a timer for social media use to avoid excessive exposure to negative political news.<\/li><li>Recognize negativity bias and try to incorporate positive or constructive news into your media diet.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-77b88bd1 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"77b88bd1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3721b10a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3721b10a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Channel Your Worries<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5de3a345 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5de3a345\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Job loss, escalating prices on everything from groceries to building materials, and the lack of affordable housing \u2013 these issues are real and society-wide in their impact. Worrying is understandable, but if it leads to feelings of anger and helplessness that interfere with your life, finding ways to cope without shutting out reality is essential.<\/p><p>One way to deal with the uncertainties facing all of us is to be proactive in preparing for possible scenarios. \u201cLet\u2019s say that you work in an industry that one of the tariffs is going to impact. Reach out to your professional organization or your company and ask, \u2018What\u2019s going to be our response to this? Is there a way to prepare for it, remove some of that uncertainty?\u2019\u201d says Friesen.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63978af9 e-con-full e-grid e-con e-child\" data-id=\"63978af9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66739a77 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"66739a77\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78b31ff3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"78b31ff3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Shift Focus to Areas of Control<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30ee7f22 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"30ee7f22\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>Instead of feeling overwhelmed by every political issue, focus on what you can influence.<\/li><li>Engage in local advocacy or community projects where your efforts make a tangible difference.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68e4cbc4 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"68e4cbc4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-225ff15b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"225ff15b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Take Proactive Steps Instead of Worrying<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52051a38 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"52051a38\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>If political or economic changes could impact your job or finances, reach out to professional organizations or employers for guidance.<\/li><li>Seek concrete information about potential scenarios to reduce uncertainty and fear.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-226bf471 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"226bf471\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52796a8e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"52796a8e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9814ed elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a9814ed\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Don\u2019t Tune Out Completely<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69977fe1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"69977fe1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Getting involved in your own community, or advocating for an issue you care deeply about, can go a long way to allaying feelings of helplessness. Focusing your time and energy on helping to further one cause is better than becoming paralyzed by feelings of emotional overload, says Friesen.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6c9615 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e6c9615\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4547bb86 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4547bb86\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7293caad elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7293caad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Constructive Political Engagement<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Get involved in community initiatives or advocacy efforts for issues you care about.<\/li><li>Participate in local governance by voicing concerns to city officials.<\/li><li>Pay attention to municipal and provincial decisions, as they often have the biggest impact on daily life.<\/li><li>Support businesses and actions that align with your values (e.g., buying local).<\/li><li>Choose key issues: Instead of trying to follow everything, pick 2-3 topics that are most important to you and stay engaged with them.<\/li><li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-533952f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"533952f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3383da67 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3383da67\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-431bcd37 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"431bcd37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Therapy and Care<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7eb3be4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7eb3be4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\u201cWhen we consciously shift our focus away from elements beyond our control and onto matters where our influence is meaningful, we not only conserve valuable mental energy but also gain a sense of empowerment,\u201d Peachey says. It\u2019s also important to find a balance. \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t do any good to worry about politics every moment of the day. Live your life,\u201d says Friesen. If you need help, <a href=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/where-to-get-care-a-guide-to-navigating-public-and-private-mental-health-services-in-canada\/\">contact a therapist<\/a> who can help you reframe your fears and anxieties and find positive ways to cope.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c952bcb e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4c952bcb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3df14e67 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3df14e67\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-23799ab3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"23799ab3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Reframe Negative Thinking<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Challenge \u201cwhat if\u201d fears by identifying support systems and resources available to help.<\/li><li>Work with a therapist or counsellor to reframe anxious thoughts into constructive actions.<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Practice Self-Care and Maintain a Balanced Life<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Prioritize sleep, exercise, and healthy eating.<\/li><li>Engage in activities that bring you joy, like hobbies, travelling, or spending time with loved ones.<\/li><li>Connect with supportive friends and family members who nurture your well-being.<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Seek Professional Support When Needed<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>If political stress is severely affecting your well-being, consider talking to a therapist.<\/li><li>A therapist can help reframe fears and provide coping strategies.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62e96893 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"62e96893\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1017567b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1017567b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1151\" src=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TherapyCare-768x1151.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-81077\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TherapyCare-768x1151.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TherapyCare-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TherapyCare-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TherapyCare-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TherapyCare-1367x2048.jpg 1367w, https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/TherapyCare.jpg 1414w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3cbbee8e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3cbbee8e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24cedf40 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"24cedf40\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Expert reviewers:<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c034fd2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7c034fd2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Amanda Friesen is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in political psychology in the Department of Political Science at Western University. She is the director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodypoliticslab.amandafriesen.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Body Politics Lab<\/a>.<\/p><p>Stefanie Peachey is a registered social worker and accredited family therapist and founder and director of Peachey Counselling and Family Support with offices in Oakville and Burlington, Ontario.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coping With Political Anxiety World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress. Published: May 2025 Key Takeaways Political anxiety \u2013 yes, it\u2019s a thing. Stay informed, but in moderation. Focus on what you can control. Engage in positive actions rather than dwelling on stressful events. Take care of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":81071,"parent":0,"template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[808],"tags":[],"program":[],"program-area":[],"audience":[],"covid-hub-category":[],"health-canada":[842,834,839,833,828,847],"class_list":["post-86195","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-public-resources","health-canada-equityindiversity","health-canada-professionals","health-canada-pwlle","health-canada-research","health-canada-prevention","health-canada-youth"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Political Anxiety - Mental Health Commission of Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Coping With Political Anxiety World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress. Published: May 2025 Key\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Political Anxiety\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Coping With Political Anxiety World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress. Published: May 2025 Key\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mental Health Commission of Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mental-health-commission-of-canada\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-24T15:43:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2354\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1273\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/\",\"name\":\"Political Anxiety - Mental Health Commission of Canada\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-27T18:32:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-24T15:43:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"Coping With Political Anxiety World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress. Published: May 2025 Key\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg\",\"width\":2354,\"height\":1273},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/political-anxiety\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Resources\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Political Anxiety\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mental Health Commission of Canada\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Mental Health Commission of Canada\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/mental-health-commission-canada-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/mental-health-commission-canada-logo.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Mental Health Commission of Canada\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/mental-health-commission-of-canada\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Political Anxiety - Mental Health Commission of Canada","description":"Coping With Political Anxiety World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress. Published: May 2025 Key","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Political Anxiety","og_description":"Coping With Political Anxiety World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress. Published: May 2025 Key","og_url":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/","og_site_name":"Mental Health Commission of Canada","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mental-health-commission-of-canada\/","article_modified_time":"2025-07-24T15:43:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2354,"height":1273,"url":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/","url":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/","name":"Political Anxiety - Mental Health Commission of Canada","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-27T18:32:01+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-24T15:43:37+00:00","description":"Coping With Political Anxiety World events can be overwhelming. Focusing on what you can control can help alleviate stress. Published: May 2025 Key","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PoliticalAnxiety-Featured.jpg","width":2354,"height":1273},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/political-anxiety\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Resources","item":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Political Anxiety"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/#website","url":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/","name":"Mental Health Commission of Canada","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/#organization","name":"Mental Health Commission of Canada","url":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/mental-health-commission-canada-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/mental-health-commission-canada-logo.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Mental Health Commission of Canada"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mental-health-commission-of-canada\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/86195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/157"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/86195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88782,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/86195\/revisions\/88782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86195"},{"taxonomy":"program","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program?post=86195"},{"taxonomy":"program-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program-area?post=86195"},{"taxonomy":"audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience?post=86195"},{"taxonomy":"covid-hub-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/covid-hub-category?post=86195"},{"taxonomy":"health-canada","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/health-canada?post=86195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}