When It’s All Too Much: Using DBT, CBT, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion to Cope with Political Anxiety

By Kimberly Baker, LMFT – Serene Seas Counseling

06/14/2025

If you're reading this, there's a good chance you're feeling overwhelmed — by the news, by injustice, by uncertainty, by what’s happening in our country and our communities. You’re not alone.

In my therapy practice, I’ve had countless conversations recently with people who feel anxious, helpless, angry, or just plain exhausted by the current political climate. Whether it's concern for your rights, fear for your children’s future, or heartbreak over the state of the world, political stress is real. And it can be heavy.

I want to offer you something gentle, real, and useful. Below are tools drawn from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and self-compassion that can help you care for yourself — not by turning away, but by staying grounded, present, and human in the face of difficult times.

🌬️ When You're Totally Overwhelmed

Let’s start here — when it’s too much.

You don’t have to be “strong” all the time. It’s okay to shut the laptop, silence the news alerts, and say, “Right now, I need to care for my nervous system.” That’s not avoidance. That’s wisdom.

Try this:

🧘‍♀️ Drop Anchor (A Quick Grounding Exercise)

1. Pause and plant both feet on the ground.

2. Breathe slowly, in and out through your nose.

3. Notice 5 things around you (what you see, hear, feel).

4. Name one emotion without judging it.

5. Remind yourself: “I’m here. I’m safe in this moment. I can take this one breath at a time.”

This can help bring you back to now — where your power begins again.

💡 DBT: Skills for Riding the Emotional Waves

DBT is all about helping people manage intense emotions without becoming overwhelmed. Here are a few that are especially helpful when you're flooded by political fear or despair:

• TIPP Skills (Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, Progressive muscle relaxation)
  When you feel like you're going to snap or break down, splash cold water on your face, go for a quick walk, or try box breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4). These help reset your body when your anxiety is spiking.

• Radical Acceptance
  This doesn’t mean liking what’s happening — it means acknowledging the reality that exists right now, so you can respond wisely instead of reacting out of panic.

• Wise Mind
  Pause and ask yourself: What does the calm, wise part of me know right now? It might whisper, “You can’t fix everything today, but you can drink water and rest. That matters too.”
  
  

🧠 CBT: Reframing the Mental Spiral

CBT teaches us that our thoughts affect our feelings. And sometimes, our minds tell us stories that fuel anxiety.

Here’s how to gently challenge those thoughts:

• Name the Thought:
  “The world is falling apart.”

• Ask Yourself:
  Is this 100% true? Always true? What would I tell a friend who said this?

• Try a More Balanced Thought:
  “Things are hard right now, and there are also people working every day for change. I can be one of them — and still take care of myself.”

CBT isn’t about false positivity. It’s about finding realistic hope and grounding, even in uncertainty.

🌱 Mindfulness: Coming Back to Now

Anxiety is often a future-focused emotion — it pulls us into what ifs and imagined disasters. Mindfulness gently invites us back to what is.

Try this practice:

☕ 5 Senses Tea Break

Make a cup of tea (or coffee).
Sit down.
Notice:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can feel

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

Let yourself be right there, just for a few minutes. This isn’t selfish — it’s how we build the strength to keep going.

💛 Self-Compassion: Being on Your Own Side

If you’re feeling anxious or hopeless, your inner critic might start chiming in: You’re not doing enough. You should care more. You should be stronger. But guilt and shame don’t help us stay engaged — they burn us out.

Self-compassion says:

• “This hurts. And I’m doing the best I can.”

• “Others feel this too — I’m not alone.”

• “What would I say to a dear friend who felt this way?”

One of my favorite practices is to place a hand on your heart and say, “This is a moment of suffering. Suffering is part of life. May I be kind to myself in this moment.”

🛠️ Small, Meaningful Actions When You're Ready

Once you're grounded again, you might still ask, “But what can I do?”

Here are some ideas:

• Limit news to one trusted source, once or twice a day.

• Write a letter to your representative — even one email can matter.

• Volunteer with a cause you care about.

• Donate if you can — even small amounts.

• Talk to others about your values in calm, meaningful ways.

• Rest. Really rest. You’re part of the movement, not a machine.

Final Thoughts

The world feels heavy right now — but you don’t have to carry it all alone. Let your nervous system rest. Let your heart be soft. Let your presence, your kindness, your ability to keep showing up, be your protest and your peace.

You’re allowed to take a breath.
You’re allowed to take a break.
You’re allowed to be human.

And when you’re ready, we’ll all keep going — together.

With care,
Kimberly Baker, LMFT
Serene Seas Counseling
Holding space for healing, strength, and compassion — even in the hardest times.