À la Vice President Kamala Harris, I have stress-eaten my fair share of Doritos since the 2016 presidential election. From paper towels being thrown at the people of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017 to the cruel questioning of VP Harris’ biracial heritage last month, I’ve personally taken so many culturally-based hits to my mental health over the past eight years. And the outrageous attacks continue to flood the political landscape. Just last night, Donald Trump repeated running mate JD Vance’s disgusting and false claims about Haitian immigrants.
The onslaughts won’t let up, which is why I’ve been figuring out ways to combat my election stress and anxiety since January. Lately, that self-preservation looks like morning Peloton rides and honest conversations with my mom, who lived during the Civil Rights movement and reminds me that this political turmoil is nothing new, and that we will make it through.
But even with my attempts to protect my mental health during this charged political season, I’m exhausted—and I know I’m not alone. Black women, in particular, have been taught to shoulder the problems of the world around us, and to take that back-breaking pressure on the chin, for centuries. Many of us watched our mothers endure racism from our car seats as children; we noted how they kept pushing forward and bottled up their frustrations with micro and macro aggressions. We picked up that we shouldn’t talk about the stings; instead, we should choose our battles and try to get through the day.
Although we’ve mastered putting on a brave face for the world, we need to acknowledge that suffering in silence does real damage beneath the surface. Despite higher rates of chronic health issues and psychological stress, we learn to put ourselves last and endure. But we don’t have to accept that.
To counter the taxing toll of racist political attacks on Black women’s mental health, some authentic self-care is in order. With that in mind, SELF asked 11 Black therapists to share tangible ways Black women can support their well-being amidst an inundation of election misogynoir.
1. Pay attention to your body’s cues when you’re digesting the news…
“I tell people to check their body when they’re watching television or looking at election coverage on their phones. You should know your cues. So if my eyebrows are at my nose, and my shoulders are at my ears and my fists look like Arthur—like I’m about to punch someone—that typically means that this isn’t the best resource for me to be looking at right now. And I think one of the big things with election stress and anxiety is people feeling like they need to know every single thing every single second of the day. I tell my patients that if there is a zombie apocalypse, you will know. It’s okay to take a break.” —Raquel Martin, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Tennessee State University
2. …or choose to skip it entirely.
“As Black women, we may feel the pressure to support our candidate, and listen, and be there. Give yourself permission to avoid any kind of information regarding this upcoming election that could be particularly triggering and isn’t actually going to change how you end up voting. [You don’t need to monitor] polls about what everybody else is thinking or how they plan to vote. You don’t need that information to influence what you’re going to do, and it’ll likely create more stress over a decision that’s ultimately out of your hands. You do your part, you show up on Election Day, and you vote where your values tell you to vote. After that, you try your best to let any stress or anxiety associated with the outcome go. And that absolutely has to be enough.” —Kelli Rugless, PsyD, licensed psychologist and founder of Flourish of Psychology
3. Remember who you are…
“Remember the lineage that you come from. We are not the first generation to encounter oppression and fear around our political freedoms. Our ancestors found ways to build lives full of joy in the midst of oppression and we can do the same.” —Corrine Harris, PhD, LMHC, owner of Harris Counseling Services and assistant professor at Capella University
4. …and celebrate your cultural identity.
“It’s going to be important to re-root yourself back into your own cultural identity and celebrate that. That might look like gathering with your girlfriends, family, or chosen family and engaging in traditions and activities that center your Blackness—or whatever your ethnicity is. You could also [add something] aesthetically pleasing to your office or home that reminds you of the beauty of your heritage. There is a narrative out there—on respectability politics and how one should wear their hair, or look, or whatever the case may be—that is rooted so deeply in white supremacy. And sometimes you’ve got to be reminded of that beauty. —Hazel Owens, MDiv, LMFT, owner of Owens Counseling & Consulting
5. Avoid triggering news sources.
“Limit or eliminate your exposure to media that attack Black women or political candidates for their Blackness and womanhood. Choose media outlets that share news in an affirmative and non-inflammatory way. If we believe everything we hear, we will forget the truth that we are beautiful human beings who have a lot to contribute to the world. It is also helpful to remember the legacy of incredible Black women who have changed the world; they were likely misrepresented during their time but that does not make them any less powerful.” —Adia Gooden, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Unconditionally Worthy, Co.
6. Remember that you can’t—and shouldn’t have to—solve the world’s problems.
“Black women are often tasked with carrying the burden in both our personal and work lives. And yet, even with our vital presence, we are often dismissed and disrespected, constantly facing the plight of both misogyny and racism. We are expected to do the impossible—-to save everyone else. This is especially noticeable during election season. It is crucial for us to show up for ourselves. As a Black woman and psychotherapist who has seen firsthand the effects of election fatigue, I strongly encourage Black women to lean into healthy forms of self-care during this season. Anything that nurtures your emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, can build resilience, reduce stress, and improve your quality of life. We, particularly as Black women, deserve that.” —Christine Pacheco, LMSW, owner of Saya Psychotherapy
7. Connect with what fills you up and be mindful of what drains you.
“It can be tempting to get into black-and-white thinking—falling into hopelessness, believing things have never been this bad, or idealizing activist spaces and trying to make fundamental, long-term change singlehandedly. But the in-betweens tend to be more grounded in reality, and zooming out can help you keep things in perspective and provide a sense of stability.