The Stress Is Palpable
Tips for managing your health during these changing times
Episcopal Bishop Marianne Edgar Budde’s “Have Mercy” plea to president Trump at the inaugural prayer service portends the beginning of a very stressful future for the nation. For many, policy shifts will be catastrophic, impacting generations to come. President Trump’s administration has promised Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and mass deportations; tariffs making many imported unaffordable for many; budget cuts and reprioritizations targeting the most vulnerable among us.
Such actions will add to the stress many have felt for quite some time, as reflected by rising rates of depression and suicide. Notably, the 2024 World Happiness Report, where the U.S. fell from the top twenty for the first time, tells us people under thirty are particularly disheartened. Last year’s pro-Palestine campus protests; the martyr status given to the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s accused murderer; and the New Orleans deadly terror attack, all symbolize discontent with the country. Tragically, the Los Angeles wildfires have shown the fragility of success and beliefs in that which divides us.
Turbulent times can feel like suffering death by a thousand cuts
Stress is a fact of life. Usually, however, the stress is situational. Whether it’s a fantastic new opportunity, love loss, death, an accident, or illness, most of us deal fairly well with situational stress. However, when the stress is never-ending, chronic stress, problems can occur. For many, global conflict, gun violence, hunger and famine, forced migration, climate change, mass murder/terrorism, and ethnic and gender oppression, are chronic stressors.
Ethnic and gender oppression are seen as structural inequalities in the U.S. They (along with race, religion, sexual orientation, and age) when found to be the basis for discrimination are illegal. They persist though, bringing chronic stress, including hypervigilance and PTSD, to many. Notably, the elimination of programs safeguarding access to opportunities for those vulnerable to structural inequities, and the 2023 Supreme Court Affirmative Action in Higher Education ruling, have led to diversity declines at several top colleges.
Health care for women has seen disparities widen. According to the World Economic Forum, access to reproductive care has worsened. Delayed care, the absence of care, and death have resulted from many legislative actions in the U.S. putting healthcare professionals in legal jeopardy for providing care. Diagnosis and treatment inequalities are made worse by a woman’s race and ethnicity.
Wealth inequality continues to grow, so much so that affordability of even basic needs has made living in the U.S. more difficult for many. Worker’s strikes, protests, a rise in hate groups, and random violence (often directed toward minorities) are all signs of increased societal stress. The ripple effects of which, The Pew Charitable Trust reports, are fueling rising cases of depression.
Stress management tips
Chronic stress responses to structural inequalities, without care and management, bring illness and can shorten lives. What follows are some ways we can manage the chronic stress many are feeling these days.
Managing stress during turbulent times
Many people are living paycheck to paycheck. The quality of their lives is determined by the days they eat, can pay their bills, can work, can care for their children, and not get sick. Chronic stress causes many to worry, panic easily, become short-tempered, suffer substance and/or food abuse, and fall into constant sadness or depression. Yet turbulent times demand that we plan what to do if things get worse, no matter our lives.
Perhaps because of the devastating Los Angeles fires, more people are talking about “go bags.” “Go bags” contain difficult to replace papers, irreplaceable documents, and other things we’ll need if we have to flee where we live at a moment’s notice. Probably because I’ve lived in foreign countries, I still have a “go bag.” It sits beside the front door and contains my family’s passports, health cards, advanced directives, deeds, water, and nutrition bars.
But “go bags” are also more than stuff in a bag. They should also be our plans for what to do if things get worse. Where you’ll get enough food to last a week if you have none should be a part of your “go bag” plan. Because all of us do not have the recommended six months of income in reserve, knowing what you’ll do if your job(s) go away should be a part of your “go bag” plan. Or if you’re an employer, knowing what you’ll do if half or all of your workers leave should be in your “go bag” plan. Most of us need a “go bag” and a plan in this time of promised change. Knowing what you’ll do if everything changes will help you manage the stress that results if it does.
Managing the stress of feeling overwhelmed
Unceasingly, we are subjected to unfettered, unfiltered, and increasingly artificially generated soundbites, messages, stories, and images that algorithmically echo across multiple media platforms. AI technology is forcing changes to our work and lives that demand problem-solving by us and those who lead our societies. This is very true for keeping young adults and children safe, especially those who are poor.
Statista tells us, “U.S. children and teenagers ages 8 to 18 years in households with an annual income of less than 35,000 USD spent 7.32 hours per day on screen media…those in households with an annual income of above 100,000 USD spent 4.21 hours per day on-screen media. Teens living in households with an annual income of less than 35,000 USD spent 9.19 hours per day on screen media, while those with an annual income of above 100,000 USD spent 7.16 hours per day.”
Excessive screen time should be thought of as an addiction when: what’s on our devices commands our attention; when we feel anxious if our device is not close at hand; when others’ views negatively or positively affect how we see ourselves; and when our sleep/rest is disrupted by screen time. The resulting stress isolates many and increases unaware social media users’ vulnerability to artificially created relationships. Both can make our self-image, self-worth, and well-being more fragile. Being able to reduce our screen time (all screens, including TV) until we get to two or fewer hours a day should be a gage to taking more control over our health.
Managing contagious stress
Depicting groups of people as “evil others” threatening the American way of life has become woven into the fabric of U.S. culture. Whether it’s deriding people from “shit hole countries trying to get into our country”; characterizing immigrants as murderers, rapists, and dog/cat eaters U.S.; accusing NATO allies of not carrying their fair share; or banning religious groups from the country, the resulting stress triggers many to anxiety and fear. For some, the threats are enough to cause them to harm others.
Immigrants, for example, have gone from being assets to pariahs. The resulting stress individuals, communities, and the country will experience if mass deportation comes to fruition reminds me of one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest impassioned pleas, “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” It’s a plea that reminds us that neither the oppressed nor the oppressor is immune from the stress of oppression.
Managing the stress of everyday living
Our diet is generally the first thing that goes when people get stressed. Yet, we need the energy nutritious foods (proteins, grains, fruits, and fresh veggies) provide to get us through our stress. This is one of the paradoxes many who are stressed face. Stress alters our diets inhibiting our ability to manage the stress we feel.
Walking helps relieve stress. Yet when we’re stressed, it’s very often the last thing many want, especially if we’re out of shape. Walking, even for as little as 15 to 30 minutes a day, three days a week, according to Web MD, has great stress-reducing benefits.
Getting at least seven hours of good sleep each night is recommended. And while anxiety causes many a sleepless night; as does working two or three jobs; spending time on our gadgets before we sleep; and watching the news before going to bed, getting good rest is important to stress management.
Good rest also means escaping, even for a few moments, all that causes us stress. This is how I explained it to my little girl who recently asked me why I meditate every morning. Meditation, I told her, is how I get rid of bad juju (yeh, I explained it) and negativity. And if I do it well, my reason for living, loving you, guides my day.
Al fin: 2025 and the near future promises stress to many
For me, there are parallels between the tumultuous changes promised by the Trump administration and the stress, pain, and suffering of those affected by the Los Angeles fires. The loss of life, the loss of homes, the loss of self-reliance, and the forced reprioritization of daily activities will redefine the lives of many in the country for many generations to come. Whether it’s because of the fires or immigration status, many have been or will be made refugees in their own land.
At a time when messages are promulgated to separate us, we are being made to learn that our connections to each other are the ways we survive and thrive the stress of being human. Communities that lift and affirm us, however, should neither wait for nor depend upon turbulent or catastrophic change. Nor should a crisis have to be in the offing for us to plan for managing the stress change brings. Managing stress well means recognizing that change is a part of our lives. It also means knowing how we’ll handle turbulent change. Even if we never need to. Both are skills future generations are likely to need.