Maintaining Your Mental Health When the World is on Fire

This has been the year from Hell, September 2025 may have been the most stressful month in most of our lifetimes. I'm not going to list all of the awful things that have been happening. The current mess just this week has been Sec. of Defense (or War) Pete Hegseth and Trump held some big meeting yesterday with every military General and Admiral where they tried to turn it into a rally, but it felt more like a funeral.

Some of the most disturbing things to come from that meeting was how they would revel in the idea of killing people and included American citizens in that group. Hopefully our Generals will remain loyal to their oaths and not their leaders.

If that wasn't enough, as of midnight last night, the government shut down over disagreement on funding. I'm not going to break down all the ins and outs of that. Lots of more qualified writers are covering that. What I will cover is, how the hell do we keep going on with daily chaos?

First I want to mention, a government shutdown does effect everyone. If it doesn't effect you today, some part of it will weeks from now. There is a ripple effect that will reach out and touch everyone in some way. I say this because I've seen people say they don't care, it doesn't affect them in any way. They are in for a surprise.

The Psychological Toll

There are a lot of ways this will affect us mentally, some we may not even realize yet. Here are just a few:

Financial uncertainty – There is just so much we don't know, like how long this will last and what it will do prices, services and the far reaching effects on all of us.

Loss of control – all this is just happening to all of us, whether we voted for it or not and we all feel like there is little or nothing we can do.

Financial stress – especially for federal employees or contractors who will be immediately furloughed or working without pay for who knows how long.

Cascading effects – There will be loss of services and payments the longer this goes on, medicaid, medicare, VA benefits just to name a few.

Media overload and burnout – This is the big one. Even if you don't watch legacy news on TV, social media is just slammed with constant news, breaking news, updates, etc. That's not even counting the AI slop, deep fakes and just made up stories going around of things going on and then seeing our relatives sharing the fake stories as if its true. It reaches a point you just want to shut down and throw your phone into the ocean and go live in a cabin in the wilderness.

What We Can Do

No matter how active you are politically or socially, all of us will get burned out on this. We were not meant to just take in constant bad or chaotic news 24/7 on a loop. So here are some things that may preserve our mental health.

Limit news and social media

Set yourself an amount of time a day to check updates and notifications, give yourself a schedule for how much screen time a day. Maybe even in varying increments, then turn off the apps or notifications and put it down. I try to do art to shut my brain off or read on my kindle. Because of this blog and my topics, I'm usually plugged in a lot, but I have to schedule breaks.

Grounding & Stress Reduction Techniques

Deep breathing exercises are good and helpful. Going for a short walk, or a long one for that matter is good for the body and the mind and will clear your head. I like to meditate for 10-15 minutes a day while saying positive affirmations and mantras. This has done wonders for my self-esteem and I often go into a trancelike state and have a variety of cool visions and experiences. I know not everyone experiences that when they meditate, sometimes I just fall asleep which is fine too.

Strengthen social and community connections

Right now, community is more important than ever. I work from home and am online most of the time, so I have some online communities I'm a part of that are important. I'm trying to build one on this very blog. I would like to eventually open a discord chat as we get more people.

Real life connections are very important. We are part of a local Swiftie group here in San Antonio. Friday night we have a Taylor Swift The Life of a Showgirl dance party. At first we were like, maybe we shouldn't go, with the world being what it is. Maybe its wrong to go out and dance and have fun. But I read one candidate locally said to go do the things, because community is the most important right now.

Of course, your community doesn't have to be Swifties, though I always recommend it. Find a small group local to you that you can connect with and spend time together. Time away from news and phones and just enjoy each other's company.

Find help and resources

If all of this becomes too overwhelming and anxiety and depression become too much, try to find professional help. I realize that can be a luxury and in some areas, it is hard or almost impossible to find proper mental health. Or if you do find it, it can take months to be seen. Mental health in the United States is greatly lacking.

If the standard resources aren't available, check or online resources. There are a variety of virtual and slidng scale counseling services. So maybe you can find something that suits you.

I realize some of this can be difficult if you don't have the financial resources. I also know therapy isn't for everyone. It has helped me immensely. But everyone is different. I don't recommend most crisis or text lines. Those are usually manned by volunteers who are just going off a script. In a real situation they may offer some minimal help. I know about 12 years ago one hotline operator talked me down from the very edge. But I had some at other times which were not so great, lots of platitudes and generic advice, and that usually makes me feel worse.

I really wish I had something more useful to say here. I often pride myself on having something insightful to offer in these posts, but mental health resources, there are so many variables. I just recommend NOT using an AI chatbot if you are in crisis. They can be helpful at times if you are anxious. I know I've talked to ChatGPT during panic attacks and it helped.

But I also know that isn't the healthiest of mechanisms which is why I created this blog. Whatever you do, prioritize your mental health and safety first and foremost. Whatever that looks like for you.

Civil engagement

This can look like a lot of things. Volunteering with mental health agencies or charities. If you can't volunteer, then donating cash or materials. Finding any way to connect or help can help give you agency.

Stay informed about legislation, including on the local level. That may be even more important. Make sure to vote in local elections. In Texas those are always in off years, because they are counting on low turnout.

Support groups and angencies that stand with your values. Once again, volunteering, donating, phone banking, all these things can help them as well as help you in taking your power back.

Self compassion and limits

Study your mind and body and learn to recognize your feeling. Understand when you are feeling too depressed or anxious. If you start to feel helpless and hopeless, take a step back from everything and reassess. Hopelessness is what authoritarians count on. Don't give in to it.

It is ok to take breaks, rest and protect your mental space. There is no time limit. You can rest for a few hours or a few weeks. Your peace of mind is the most important. When I worked in the mental health field years ago, they always told us, "You can't help anyone else if you don't take care of yourself first." And its true.

We Can Get Through This

The Preamble of the Constitution begins, “We the People.” That’s us, all of us, across every color, race, gender, and faith. This nation has endured civil wars, economic collapses, and terrorist attacks. We will endure this too, if we remember that together we are stronger than any shutdown or crisis. No amount of political posturing can take away our resilience. Never forget your own power, not just as voters or citizens, but as human beings who can care, support, and uplift one another.