7 min read
The next four years can seem like a scary unknown, wherever you fall on the political spectrum. Drastic cultural shifts have revealed huge divides within the country, with polarization pulling communities apart. As identity politics continue to be weaponized by both sides of the political aisle (Lopez, 2017), the current political climate can feel volatile, and at times, downright adversarial. Livelihoods are being affected in very real ways across the country, from the introduction of Islamophobic (Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkley, n.d.) and transphobic (Trans Legislation Tracker, n.d.) policies, to removal of reproductive rights (Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.), and to threats of mass deportation by military means (Montoya-Galvez et al., 2024).
It’s important to find ways to take care of yourself and build resilience through these challenging times. We’ve compiled some strategies to help you remain safe, physically and mentally, at both an individual and community level. Additional resources are also listed below:
At an individual level
Maintenance strategies play a significant role in maintaining mental and physical safety. Low-barrier activities such as mindfulness meditation, breathwork, physical activity, connection with nature, and reduced social media usage contribute to improvements in overall health, specifically for individuals experiencing anxiety and depression.
Mindfulness meditation & breathwork
Mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, and can help with depression when implemented consistently on a long-term basis (Li et al., 2020, p. 67). Mindfulness meditation is “the process of focusing one’s mind in the present moment, maintaining a nonjudgmental attitude, and detaching from destructive thoughts and feelings,” (Dryden & Still, 2006 as cited by Li et al., 2020, p. 60). Mindfulness meditation includes meditation, mindfulness of decompression therapy, and mindfulness of cognitive therapy (Hwang et al., 2018 as cited by Li et al., 2020 p. 60).
Breathing practices and breathwork have also shown to have a positive impact on stress reduction. Breathing practices include diaphragmatic breathing, paced slow breathing, breathing with biofeedback, and alternate-nostril breathing (Bentley et al., 2023). Breathwork has been shown to be most effective when introduced into daily/weekly practice.
For those wanting to give it a try, the University of Melbourne provides guided exercises for mindfulness meditation, and Stanford Medicine has published a quick instructional on cyclic breathing.
Reducing social media and increasing physical activity
While keeping informed remains an important aspect of social participation, it can also have negative impacts on mental health, especially when it leads to excessive social media use. Studies have shown a link between problematic use of social media and social media fatigue, creating a self-sustaining loop that worsens over time (Chen et al., 2024, p. 463). Problematic use is defined as the “uncontrollable, prolonged use of social media and the resulting physical discomfort and psychosocial maladjustment,” (Mok et al., 2014, as cited by Chen et al., p. 458). Social media fatigue has been described as “a state of mental exhaustion suffered by users after experiencing technological, informational, and communication overload when using social media,” (Dhir et al., 2018 as cited by Chen et al., 2024, p. 468). Problematic use has been found to be both a stressor and an antecedent (trigger) for technological stressors, which means that those addicted to social media are also then experiencing social media fatigue (Chen et al., p. 458).
There is good news, however. A combined and strategic reduction in social media use and increase in physical activities has been found to improve health outcomes (Brailovskaia et al., 2022, p. 1894), as opposed to decreasing social media use alone (Brailovskaia et al., 2022, p. 1890). Physical activities have been shown to improve mental health outcomes for individuals dealing with depression, even at a low-to-moderate level (Hussenoeder et al., 2023, p. 2425). Participation in team sports have been found to improve health outcomes due in part to social factors (Clément et al., 2024), and participation in outdoor activities has been linked to positive impacts on mental health by virtue of connecting with nature (Nugraha et al., 2024, p. 645).
At a community level
Fear can be an incredibly isolating feeling; it can be reassuring to find others who understand what you’re going through. Social support has been associated with a 55% reduction in odds of elevated depressive symptoms (Choi et al., 2023, p. 431)—you shouldn’t have to go at it alone.
Lean into community resources & support
Community groups and resources can provide various levels of support, depending on issues you’re dealing with. This can span from free, in-person support groups to paid community services. Our Resource/Org Directory compiles resources around the country for those seeking specific community support.
Virtual tools
Depending on where you live, community support may not be easy to access. Online and virtual resources may be more feasible for those not experiencing immediate crisis. Our Therapist Directory includes Asian certified mental health practitioners of all kinds who provide virtual therapy sessions across the country. Mobile apps like Headspace and Happify provide asynchronous support through their resource libraries and friendly, gamified user experiences.
Understand your rights
If you foresee your safety and rights being at risk in relation to upcoming political shifts, it might be worth looking into ways to protect yourself legally. Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild provide educational resources regarding specific rights for those currently living in America. The American Bar Association maintains an online index of legal resources, including links to pro bono programs, legal aid and a link to their virtual legal advice clinic.
Being prepared
According to the Centre for Disease Control (n.d.), suicide was one of the leading causes of death within the Asian population in 2022, especially for those between 15-34 years of age. 2023 data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (n.d.) revealed that Asian American adults were less likely than other minority populations to receive mental health treatment. The American Psychiatric Association (2020) cited cultural and systemic factors as possible reasons why service use is seemingly low within AAPI populations.
It’s unclear what lies ahead. Incorporating additional tools can help build resilience and protective layers to maintaining physical, emotional and mental safety. Create plans for days when you’re not feeling 100%, and for days you feel like you need support the most. Build a mental health first aid kit (Cadloff, 2018). And if possible, involve those you trust in the process as well.
Additional Resources
Some days are harder than others, and support can look different between individuals. Below is a list of additional resources, categorized based on type of support provided:
Virtual mental health resources:
- AMHC Support Groups
- Collective Calm: An Election Processing Space Psychoeducation Toolkit
- NIH – Wellness Toolkits
Legal support:
Sources
American Psychiatric Association. (2020). Mental Health Facts For Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Cultural-Competency/Mental-Health-Disparities/Mental-Health-Facts-for-Asian-Americans-Pacific-Islanders.pdf
Bently, T. G. K., D’Andrea-Penna, G., Rakic, M., Arce, N., LaFaille, M., Berman, R., Cooley, K., & Sprimont, P. (2023). Breathing Practices for Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Conceptual Framework of Implementation Guidelines Based on a Systematic Review of the Published Literature. Brain Sciences, 13, 1612. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121612
Brailovskaia, J., Swanlike, V. J., Grethe, G. A., Schillack, H., & Margraf, J. (2022). Experimental longitudinal evidence for causal role of social media use and physical activity in COVID‑19 burden and mental health. Journal of Public Health, 21, 1885-1898. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01751-x
Cadloff, E. B. (2018, December 3). How first-aid kits for mental health symptoms are helping Canadian university students. Maclean’s. https://macleans.ca/economy/business/first-aid-kit-mental-health/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Leading Causes of Death. WISQARS Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. https://wisqars.cdc.gov/lcd/?o=LCD&y1=2022&y2=2022&ct=10&cc=ALL&g=00&s=0&r=4&ry=2&e=0&ar=lcd1age&at=groups&ag=lcd1age&a1=0&a2=199. Accessed November 20, 2024.
Chen, B., Sun, X., Zhang, Q., & Yao, L. (2024). Are Fatigued Users Fleeing Social Media? A Three-Level Meta-Analysis on the Association Between Social Media Fatigue and Social Media Use. Psychology of Popular Media, 13(3), 457-471. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000495
Choi, K. W., Lee, Y. H., Fatori, D., Bauermeister, J. R., Luh, R. A., Clark, C. R., Brunoni, A. R., Bauermeister, S., & Smoller, J. W. (2023). Social support and depression during a global crisis. Nature Mental Health, 1, 428-435. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-023-00078-0
Clément, J., Gallant, F., Hudon, C., Montiel, C., Riglea, T., Barbiche, D., Doré, I., Sylvestre, M., O’Loughlin, J., & Bélanger, M. (2024). Use of physical activity as a coping strategy mediates the association between adolescent team sports participation and emerging adult mental health. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 27, 100612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2024.100612
Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Home. ReproductiveRights.Gov. https://reproductiverights.gov/. Accessed November 18, 2024.
Hussenoeder, F. S., Conrad, I., Pabst, A., Engel, C., Zachariae, S., Zeynalova, S., Glaesmer, H., Hinz, A., Witte, V., Schomerus, G., Löffler, M., Villringer, A., Sander, C., & Reidel-Heller, S. G. (2023). Physical activity and mental health: the connection between step count and depression, anxiety and quality of sleep. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 28(9), 2419-2429. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2022.2159453
Li, Y., Sun, W., Sun, X., Sun, J., Yang, D., Jia, B., & Yuan, B. (2021). Effects of mindfulness meditation on anxiety, depression, stress, and mindfulness in nursing students: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers of Nursing, 7(1), 59-69. https://doi.org/10.2478/FON-2020-0001
Lopez, G. (2017, August 17). The battle over identity politics, explained. Vox. https://www.vox.com/identities/2016/12/2/13718770/identity-politics
Montoya-Galvez, C., Watson, E., & Sganga, N. (2024, November 20). How could the U.S. military be used for Trump’s mass deportation plan? CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-military-trump-mass-deportation-plan/
National Institutes of Health. (2023, November 2). All of Us Data Shows the Power of Social Support to Prevent Depression. All of Us Research Program. https://allofus.nih.gov/news-events/research-highlights/all-of-us-data-shows-power-of-social-support-to-prevent-depression
Nugraha, H., Hernawan, Ali, M., Rahmat, A, Septante, I., Aryati, & Suryadi, D. (2024). Outdoor activities and outdoor environments for fitness and mental health: a systematic review. Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación, 59, 642-648.
Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkley. (n.d.). Islamophobia Legislative Database. https://belonging.berkeley.edu/islamophobia/islamophobia-legislative-database. Accessed November 18, 2024
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt47100/NSDUHDetailedTabs2023/NSDUHDetailedTabs2023/2023-nsduh-detailed-tables-sect6pe.htm#tab6.21b. Accessed November 20, 2024.
Trans Legislation Tracker. (n.d.). 2024 anti-trans bills tracker. https://translegislation.com/. Accessed November 18, 2024.
