Fear. Uncertainty. Hopelessness. Helplessness. Anger. Panic. Fatigue.

Every day, patients tell me how stressed out they feel about the world and that much of this stress has turned to anxiety—making it harder for them to cope with everyday life. If you are feeling strong emotions about the world, like the upcoming political election, geopolitical tensions, the spike in COVID-19 numbers, extreme climate changes, or economic burden at home (just to name a few), you’re not alone.

It’s common to have feelings about events happening at home and abroad, like what’s currently going on in the Oval Office, the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and the effects on women’s rights and reproductive care, and the war in Ukraine and the Middle East. These can evoke a cascade of strong emotions. Disagreement about these issues can damage relationships with friends, family, and coworkers and can disrupt self-care (Ford et al., 2023; Smith et al., 2019; Smith, 2022).

Research shows that, on average, people feel more anxious after watching the news and have a worse mood after checking social media (Riehm et al.,........

© Psychology Today