Managing Mental Health and Learned Helplessness During Socio-Political Unrest
Photo by Leonard von Bibra on Unsplash
Welcome to 2025! (Doesn’t that sound like one of those ‘futuristic years’ we used to see when we watched sci-fi movies as kids?) And we’re living it now. Anyway, I digress.
With the 2024 United States presidential election behind us, we're in a year that somehow feels less like a fresh start and more like the beginning of yet another never-ending chapter of socio-political unrest. If you’re finding it difficult to face the world these days, trust me even I do sometimes, you’re not alone.
The current climate feels more like a crappy rerun that no one wants to watch again of something we’ve already lived through (cue the political anxiety and chronic stress). But now the stakes are higher, the division deeper, and the fear more palpable. It’s really freaking hard to manage mental health in an environment like this, especially when the signs point to even more chaos in our daily lives. We’ve been here before. I’ve even written about this before! And yet, we seem to be gluttons for punishment because we’re coming back for it again. That’s human nature for ya, ain’t it?
The endless cycles of misinformation, political division, and social instability create an environment where feelings of learned helplessness, anger, and anxiety are rampant, even more so for vulnerable populations. These external pressures seep into every facet of life—work, home, relationships—and if left unchecked, they can severely impact your mental health and workplace wellbeing. As individuals, we may feel powerless, overwhelmed, and stuck, unable to control the chaos around us. But you know we can’t accept that and have to control the controllables as they say.
This article will discuss how you can realistically build emotional resilience, cultivate discomfort tolerance (one of my favorite things to talk about these days), and manage your mental health amidst the continued unpredictability of the world.
We’ll focus on practical strategies for improving workplace mental health and overall mental wellbeing, as well as how you can manage feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and the mental strain caused by the ongoing global division, hostility, and ambiguity.
The Emotional and Social Impact of Global Division, Misinformation, and Conflict
Living in a world that’s increasingly polarized and full of misinformation is no easy feat, but hey look at us (love you Paul Rudd), we're doing it! The rise in global political tensions, misinformation campaigns usually designed to profit off fear, and a sense that we’re teetering on the edge of another major international conflict are incredibly freaking stressful. From the everyday financial strain of rising costs, to the very real concerns about potential global wars, we are constantly surrounded by negative stimuli that negatively affect our mental well-being and at times, our physical health.
This environment creates stress on both an individual and societal level. When the world feels increasingly hostile, we find ourselves retreating into our own echo chambers. Political division and ideological battles are not just happening in the headlines, but within families, friendships, and workplaces. As you deal with the everyday pressures of navigating these difficult conversations with loved ones or colleagues, it’s easy for your mental health to take a MASSIVE hit.
This social and emotional environment leads many to feel a sense of learned helplessness—the belief that no matter how hard you try, you can’t make a difference in the world around you. Sound familiar? Are you like, “oh, that’s what this wretched feeling is called!”
When you’re constantly surrounded by civil unrest and hostility, it can feel like your efforts to create change or find a resolution are futile. It’s tempting to give up and numb yourself, retreating into a mental state where you stop trying to engage with the world. But, this sense of helplessness only perpetuates a cycle of stress, anxiety, and other mental health consequences, especially when you feel you can't control the events shaping the world.
Let’s pile on a bit more shall we? Living under constant stress activates your nervous system in ways that you can’t just “shake off.” Your body goes into fight-or-flight mode repeatedly, making it harder to think clearly or regulate emotions. This chronic state of “come at me bro!!!” leaves you extremely vulnerable to emotional burnout, which ultimately impacts your mental well-being, your ability to function, and your quality of life.
Re-traumatization is also REAL kids. Having previously experienced previous political stress or social unrest, you might find yourself reliving the anxiety and fear you felt during those times not unlike a post-traumatic stress response (it’s almost like the political flavor of ‘re-entry’ anxiety that so many of us felt during the Pandemic). The compounding effect of these cycles of emotional and mental distress can make it harder to move forward. In short, when we’re stuck in an ongoing period of division and conflict, it wears down our ability to cope effectively, both individually and at work.
Why Building Discomfort Tolerance is Crucial for Mental Health at Work (and Honestly, Life)
So, how do we protect ourselves and reduce the risk factors in our daily routine in this seemingly 7th circle of hell environment of chaos?
In my humble opinion, the answer lies in building discomfort tolerance. Discomfort tolerance is the ability to experience and sit with uncomfortable feelings and situations without becoming overwhelmed by them.
Whether you're dealing with stress at work, navigating tough political conversations, or managing your emotional state in the face of global instability, developing this skill is crucial for your mental health and overall wellbeing.
Why is discomfort tolerance such an important skill, particularly for workplace mental health? Because life—and work—is filled with challenges, and avoiding those challenges can (and most likely will) only lead to more distress in the long run.
Learning to accept and endure discomfort allows you to feel as though you’re actively trying to manage your mental state despite external chaos.
Discomfort doesn’t have to paralyze you; instead, it can be a signal that you’re growing, adapting, and strengthening the factors that build your emotional resilience.
Instead of running from discomfort, learn to sit with it and respond more thoughtfully. In the context of workplace mental health, this ability to manage discomfort is vital for not only personal resilience, but also for maintaining healthy relationships with colleagues, handling that oh-so-joyful-never-ending workplace stress, and keeping a clear focus on your tasks.
Practical Tools to Manage Your Mental Health and Build Resilience
You don’t have to let external chaos take a toll on your well-being. Is it ALWAYS avoidable? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Is it sometimes possible? You betcha.
Here are some practical tools and strategies to help you manage your struggles:
1. Understand the Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern
An extremely powerful tool (a personal favorite of mine) to help you manage feelings of helplessness and anxiety is understanding your Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern. This concept, popularized by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, helps you focus on what you can directly affect and accept what you cannot.
Circle of Control: These are things you can actively change or influence (i.e. your work performance, personal habits, or how you react to people).
Circle of Influence: These are things you can influence but not directly control , (i.e. persuading a colleague to adopt a new approach or influencing company policy).
Circle of Concern: This circle contains all the things you can’t control (i.e. global politics, the economy, or media narratives - amiright?).
Focusing your energy on the areas within your Circle of Control can sometimes help alleviate the feelings of powerlessness that often accompany these stressful times. Don’t waste mental energy worrying about things you cannot control— as easy as that might be. Direct it instead toward those things you can impact, such as your Mental Wellbeing Non-Negotiables™️ and daily routine.
2. Move Your Body
Yes, really. No, I’m not saying that physical movement is the answer to stress. Are you freaking kidding me? When the world feels like it’s burning, running a 5K won’t do s**t for that. HOWEVER, exercise literally keeps all panic chemicals (I call them that for fun) in motion and in check so they’re not building up in your brain and body making you feel like you’re going to POP. It won’t solve what’s going on around you, but it will literally let you jettison the excess energy circulating in your body that’s occurring from a stress response, which if you keep it circulating inside you, literally does NO FAVORS for any part of your health. It hurts it, plain and simple.
Studies suggest that exercise can be a powerful way to break cycles of learned helplessness, and there are several reasons why it works¹. Learned helplessness leads to passivity, inaction, and an overall sense of powerlessness (= low mental state). Engaging in physical movement can disrupt this pattern in multiple ways, addressing both the psychological and physiological aspects of helplessness by:
Restoring a Sense of Agency
Activating the nervous system and reducing stress
Improving self-efficacy
Breaking mental and emotional stagnation
Creating a sense of achievement
Providing a natural distraction from negative thoughts (and typically a physical barrier from doom scrolling and news binging)
Encouraging positive social interactions
Your body has the power to shift your mind, and this simple act of movement can be the first step toward breaking free from learned helplessness and reclaiming your sense of control.
3. Manage Exposure to Stressful Stimuli²
In today’s world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the constant barrage of information. In some cases, it’s not even information, it’s just flat-out garbage y’all.
The news, social media, and even personal conversations can each be a source of stress that negatively impacts your health. To protect your mental and psychological well-being, it's critical to manage your exposure to these stimuli.
Set boundaries for yourself regarding news consumption. I MEAN IT!
Consider taking regular breaks from social media, muting or unfollowing sources that add stress to your life, and creating mental boundaries for difficult conversations at work or in social settings. Limiting exposure to negativity allows you to preserve emotional energy and focus on maintaining your mental health in a world that feels chaotic.
Protect Your Mental Health
I feel like a broken record saying this (flashbacks to 2020), but here we go again. In these times of political and social uncertainty, it’s easy to feel powerless, anxious, and helpless. But it’s crucial to protect your mental health by:
building discomfort tolerance
accepting what is outside your control
focusing on areas where you can make a positive impact.
Why? So can build the resilience that is necessary to face the challenges ahead.
If you’re looking for more strategies on how to foster inclusive conversations and mental well-being in divisive times, be sure to check out this blog post: 13 Ways for Leaders to Create Inclusive Workplace Conversations in Times of Social Division.
Stay grounded, and take care of your mental health.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
If you’re wondering what resources are available to learn about managing and flexing your mental health muscle–especially at work–contact Mel to learn about her in-person and virtual customized programs and services. Because mental health conversations are difficult, but asking for help doesn’t have to be.
