A college student recently asked me if it was “worth it” to stay up-to-date on politics and to be actively trying to make change. Her country, she said, was in some political upheaval, and while she cared about what was going on, she just didn’t know if anything she did would matter. (And while she could have been, no, she was not from the United States.)
I’ve also heard the following reasoning multiple times in the last few weeks: “Well, it’s the end of times. There’s nothing I can do to change things, so I just won’t get involved.”
Political exhaustion is real. I get it. It’s easy to feel powerless and voiceless when it feels like no one wants to hear what you are trying to say. An AP-NORC poll in December found that about two-thirds of Americans felt the need to limit media consumption about politics and government because they just felt overloaded and tired. Psychology Today also reported in December that “Fear drives us to consume political news, but too much fear leads to exhaustion and learned helplessness.”
However, I believe it is important to stay involved, it does make a difference and your voice matters. Here are some things to consider:
Pace yourself
First, politics (like much of life) is a long game. A “no” today might be a yes tomorrow, or next month, next year or next election cycle. It is a marathon, not a sprint, and while it might feel like we are running head-long into a brick wall, change can happen. I think often of the women (and their male allies) who wanted the right to vote. It took more than 70 years for that effort to finally pay off in the passage of the 19th Amendment. It’s OK to pace yourself. We also all have seasons of our lives where we can be more involved, or less involved. Even then, we can stay informed by careful consumption of news from a variety of sources. Also, small steps, done consistently, really do add up over time.
Focus
Pacing also includes focus. It’s simply not possible to “do all the things.” In order to “stay in the arena,” we need to be able to focus on the things that matter most to us. Immigration policy? Refugees? Homelessness? Election integrity? Safety in our schools? Domestic violence? Tax policy? Federal government, state government or city government? The list of possibilities is literally endless, so focus in on the things that really grab your heart and mind and be OK with others being passionate about the areas you’re not.
Join with others
You are not alone in your desire to make a difference, no matter what the subject matter. There are formal organizations you can join, there are informal networks, or you can start your own. Working together helps the mental, physical and emotional load feel lighter. However, it’s also important to not end up in the “confirmation bias” of your own echo chamber. Stay curious and open to learning from others who think differently than you.
Take a break
Sometimes, we just need a break. I love to travel and it’s often helpful for me to plan a trip that I can look forward to. Last year, I was able to go to both Hawaii and Alaska and spend some time in nature and off the internet. Have a family gathering. Stop reading the news (just not forever!). Get off social media. You can’t live in anger and outrage all the time and still be healthy. Laugh. Find things that bring you joy and do more of those.
Resilience and self-care
Staying involved in the political arena requires resilience and the ability to stay emotionally grounded and healthy. We know from academic research — and perhaps personal experience — that people who are resilient are those who can view change or stress as an opportunity, use past successes as motivation, have a realistic sense of control (no one can solve all of the world’s problems) and know that difficult circumstances don’t last forever.
Building resilience happens over time, and it requires that we care for ourselves. Surface self-care gets attention on social media. Making the perfect smoothie or going on a Netflix binge might bring a needed-but-momentary break, but it won’t give us the deep emotional strength we need to stay in this work. So what does work to give us that emotional strength? It means that we spend time in the practices of deep self-care. Those practices can include mindfulness; meditation; a regular practice of gratitude; journaling; spiritual practices like attending services, prayer and reading holy texts; spending time in nature; and even professional therapy.
There’s a saying attributed to the Mishnah, or “Oral Torah”: “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Yes, it’s worth it to stay involved; yes, our voices matter; yes, we can make a difference. And yes, we must also care for ourselves to be able to stay in the arena.
Originally published in the Deseret News
