5 Evidence-Based Techniques to Manage Political Anxiety

The recent protests at Portland’s ICE facility have made national headlines, with inflatable dinosaurs dancing alongside serious demonstrations, tear gas deployments, and federal troop deployments being blocked by judges.

If you're like many Portlanders, watching these events unfold, whether on your phone or from your office window, might leave your chest feeling tight and your mind racing.

It’s not just you. Political anxiety has become so common that researchers are actively studying its effects on our health.

The good news is that there are practical, science-backed ways to find your footing when the news cycle feels like a spin cycle.

1. Create a “News Diet” That Works for You

Think of news consumption like eating. You wouldn’t eat dinner for three hours straight, checking the fridge every five minutes for updates on what’s for dessert. But many of us do exactly this with our social media and news apps.

Try this: Set specific “meal times” for news. Maybe it’s 15 minutes with your morning coffee and 10 minutes after dinner. Outside those windows, put your phone in another room.

One Portland client told me she puts her phone in a kitchen drawer with a sticky note that says, “Are you hungry or just bored?” It works for snacking AND scrolling.

When you do check the news, be intentional. Choose a few trusted sources rather than doom-scrolling through social media, where photos of protesters in inflatable frog costumes sit right next to alarming headlines. Your brain doesn't know how to process that whiplash.

2. Anchor Your Body When Your Mind Floats Away

When political stress hits, your body reacts like a bear is chasing you, except the bear is a news notification and you're sitting at your desk in the Pearl District. Your shoulders creep toward your ears, your breathing gets shallow, and suddenly you're ready to fight, freeze, fawn, or flee from... an email.

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique: This grounds you in the present moment:

• Name 5 things you can see (your coffee mug, that wall painting from Saturday Market)

• 4 things you can touch (your desk, the fabric of your rain jacket)

• 3 things you can hear (MAX train, the neighbor's dog, your own breathing)

• 2 things you can smell (coffee, Portland rain through the window)

• 1 thing you can taste (toothpaste, that last sip of kombucha)

I had a client who started doing this every time she passed the protests on her commute down Macadam. By the time she got to "taste," she was present enough to remember she was just driving to work, not entering a war zone.

3. Channel Anxiety into Meaningful Action

Anxiety often comes from feeling powerless. The recent protests in South Waterfront show people taking various approaches: some dress in costumes, others organize rallies, and some play classical music outside the facility to comfort those with appointments. You don’t need to join a protest to make a difference.

Small actions, big impact:

• Write one email to your representative (just one)

• Donate $5 to a Portland organization you believe in (yes, $5 counts)

• Volunteer for two hours this month at a local nonprofit (not every weekend)

• Have one respectful conversation with someone who thinks differently

The keyword here is “boundaried.” Give your action a clear start and stop. “I will volunteer at the Oregon Food Bank from 10am-12pm on Saturday” feels manageable. “I must fix everything wrong with the world,” leads to burnout by Tuesday.

4. Practice “Perspective-Taking” Without Losing Yourself

This one’s tricky, and it needs nuance. When your uncle posts something on Facebook that makes your blood pressure spike, your first instinct might be to write a dissertation in the comments section. But pause.

First, check: Is this a difference of opinion about policy (taxes, city planning, healthcare approaches), or is it dehumanizing to a group of people? There’s a world of difference between “I disagree with this policy” and content that denies someone’s humanity or right to exist. You don’t need to understand bigotry. You need to protect yourself from it.

For genuine political differences (not hate), try this mental exercise: Imagine you’re a documentary filmmaker studying why people believe what they believe. You're not agreeing or disagreeing, you’re just observing. “Interesting. Uncle Mike really fears losing his small business because of his experience in 2008.” This isn't about changing your values or theirs. It’s about understanding that behind most political positions are personal experiences of fear and hope.

When NOT to perspective-take:

• Content that promotes violence or hatred toward any group

• Posts that deny someone’s basic humanity or rights

• Conspiracy theories that could cause real harm

• Anything that makes you feel unsafe or attacked for who you are

In these cases, your energy is better spent on the “unfollow,” “mute,” or “block” buttons.

5. Build in “News-Free Zones”

Your brain needs breaks from processing the crisis. Even at the height of protests, with people dancing outside the ICE facility, life continues in its ordinary ways. Your garden still grows, your dog still needs walks, and the food carts still serve lunch.

Create sacred ordinary time:

• First 30 minutes after waking

• During meals

• One hour before bed: Books, music, anything but screens

• One full day per week: Yes, a whole day. The world will still be there on Sunday.

When These Tactics Aren’t Enough

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, political anxiety becomes like Portland’s rain: constant, pervasive, and impossible to ignore. You’ve tried being prepared, you’ve got your metaphorical rain jacket, but you're still getting soaked.

Signs it might be time for professional support:

• You're checking the news constantly

• You've stopped enjoying things that used to bring joy

• Your relationships are suffering because every conversation becomes political

• Physical symptoms like headaches, stomach issues, or insomnia persist

• You feel hopeless about the future more days than not

These techniques work best as companions to therapy, not replacements for it. Think of them like the exercises you do between physical therapy appointments: helpful for managing day-to-day, but sometimes you need an expert to help you heal the deeper injury.

While these self-help strategies can provide relief, persistent political or climate anxiety that interferes with your daily life deserves professional support.