Mental Health As Resistance

Just like the weather, our cultural climate is something we feel—viscerally, daily, and often without words. It shapes our moods, our movements, our sense of safety and belonging. In times like these, tending to our mental health isn’t just self-care—it’s resistance. It’s a quiet, powerful refusal to be consumed by the chaos around us.

A journal entry from February, 2025:
One month after the change in Presidential regime. Every day I interact with clients impacted:

• People who left abusive relationships
• People who came out of oppressive systems, only to find they can’t escape this one (“I left the institution of the church for a reason-now it feels like I’m trapped in the same system, only it’s my country”)
• Those who have been sexually assaulted, asking: (“How can people vote for a man guilty of sexual assault? What does that say about MY sexual assault and what they thought about it?) Now they feel TRAPPED and powerless under another abuser, therefore, unsafe.
• “Everything my parents taught me–now they are following leaders who do the opposite.”
• “I’m watching someone who represents me-and I didn’t vote for that and can’t do a damn thing about it.”
• Will my family be safe?
• Will my sons be drafted?
• Will my organization lose its funding?
• Will my child lose their supportive services?
• Will my family member lose their housing and services?
• Will my family member be deported?

Uncertainty, fear, confusion, anger, rage, bewilderment, dysregulation, isolation, division. Those with the least power and privilege are inevitably the most impacted.

I feel a tremendous weight and responsibility to act, to speak and resist. We are watching decades of fighting for freedom and progress be taken, like jenga pieces, soon expecting a crash of the tower of democracy and what we thought made the USA what it is.

How do we transcend? How do we make a difference during difficult times? How can I amplify the right voices? What is my role?

Since writing that, so much more has unfolded. No matter how much you try to take care of yourself, we are bombarded with daily new frustrations and changes. For many, we knew this was coming. We were prepared for the worst-but it still hurts to see the current state of our country. Others were not prepared, while others still seem to be turning a blind eye, living life, business as usual.

I reviewed some things I wrote during COVID and saw how much of it relates…Similar to COVID, many of us are anxious. We are vulnerable. We are grieving. We are well aware of our division and that somehow the majority of the nation voted for this.
We have many fears of what could happen. We are designed to have a stress response system that kicks in when there is threat of danger. When it kicks in, our body’s built-in alarm, the amygdala, hijacks the prefrontal cortex. Immediately, different hormones and bodily responses (like heartbeat and breathing) are signaled to start working on our behalf with an automatic fight, flight or freeze reaction. These are meant to help us survive the threat, ultimately protecting us to stay alive. When the threat is removed, our body can return to its baseline of function. When someone experiences an anxiety disorder, such as having symptoms of panic, this alarm system is going off at the wrong times and/or disproportionately to the situation. This may happen due to chronic stress or to a genetic predisposition to anxiety.

Now we are facing a real, ongoing threat. The challenge with ongoing threat of danger is that it will take a toll on our body. It’s not sustainable to remain in an activated state. This could weaken the immune system or impact us in other ways physically and emotionally. Additionally, when the amygdala hijacks our prefrontal cortex, it shuts off the part of the brain that we need for decision making, organizing and judgment. This is one reason why we may not make the most rational decisions in times of panic. It is why we may respond with self-protective tendencies at the expense of our loved ones or fellow citizens. This threat and panic can also be contagious, spreading emotionally and socially.

Pause and consider-when have you experienced this recently/ What have been your triggers? When do you notice a shift in your body? How and where does it show up in your body?

For any one who has endured an abusive relationship, perhaps it was watching Trump and Zelensky’s conversation in the oval office. For others, it has been the deportation of loved ones, or hearing the news of wrongful deportations. For others it has been waiting for the news about whether or not you still have a job. For many, it was “Liberation Day”, the announcement of tariffs, quickly impacting retirement and investment accounts and projecting an impact on our economy.

So, how do we keep going? How do we cope in the midst of so much tension, division, drastic changes, many of which go against our values and what we thought were the values of our nation?

Together we are going to discuss some ways to think about caring for our mental health. Before we do that, let’s pause and take a few slow deep breaths: In through your nose counting to 5, hold it for 7, and out through your mouth, counting to 8.

1. Informed but not immersed
First and foremost, let’s consider how we can stay informed of what is happening, but in such a way that we are not immersed. Similar to a dip in the ocean, we want to keep our feet on solid ground or be in a place where we can tread water, but quickly reach solid ground, so that when the inevitable waves come, we know we have the capacity to wait till they pass or to stand up again without drowning.

2. Consider: What is your rhythm?
How do you get news? From whom? When? How often? For how long?
You may want to notice what happens in your body, mind and spirit based on your current rhythm. Then consider ways you can adjust. Perhaps you will choose:

• Who you will listen to (Who presents the news in a style that suits you, and that you have found to be sound and trustworthy?)
• Take off notifications from your phone (stop right now and consider which news apps are on your phone and remove/adapt those notifications so that you can choose when you receive the news.
• Choose the time of day and limit the amount of time (If it’s possible, choose to check in with the news other than first thing in the morning or last thing you do at night. If not possible, consider adding a breathing exercise or meditation that will help you to reset after reading the news. If you have to focus at work or during a family gathering, take breaks from your phone.)
• What topics are most important to you? Consider limiting your information reception to those topics.
• Take breaks (Consider taking a day/days off from any news outlets. If this is not possible, consider parts of a day or seasonal breaks such as vacations or holidays)
• Share with others what your preferred rhythm is so they can honor it.

This section may take some reflection and observation–take a few days to see what you notice and come back to answering each of these questions. This does not mean we are avoiding or denying reality, it means we are not letting the current climate govern our peace.

3. Consider: WHO are you listening to?

• It’s one thing to choose your news headlines and that’s important-it’s another thing to have those who can help us make sense of the news. I’m committed to a few voices that I have come to trust and respect-those who know more than me, who have shared beliefs and values and who have the pulse on history and present. For example, Jessica Yellin, and her substack, News Not Noise, is trying her best to present news in measurable, “soft” ways. You can also find her on social media as well as weekly on the podcast, We can do hard things. If you’re looking for someone from a faith-based perspective, consider Convocation Unscripted.
• I’m also watching out for ways to get involved and ways to resist and those who are providing those opportunities. I recently learned the term hopescroll and found websites like Choose Democracy US who has created the resist list, and waging nonviolence who is actively tracking resistance, even that which does not make the news.
• Who are you connected to? (Take time now to write them down)
  • Who are your safe people to vent, cry, and process?
  • How are you staying connected to them?
  • Do you have the people that get it that you can give the uncensored versions?
  • Can you also take breaks with those people and laugh, do something light, immerse yourself in beauty?
  • Remember to know the rhythms of your people so you can honor them.

4. How to think about Coping
In my work with individuals and communities who have experienced trauma, healing is the reversal of the trauma experience. When someone was silenced, voice is restored. Someone who was powerless, choice is given. When one experienced betrayal and loss of trust, they are restored into safe relationships where they can again experience connection and community.

When someone who has experienced trauma again feels trapped, that can lead to triggering past trauma. The very definition of trauma is when someone experiences a threat that results in powerlessness. So, it’s essential to find ways to get untrapped. It may be something that feels insignificant-but to our body and mind, it’s a form of survival, it signifies that safety and stable ground are still accessible and optional in the midst of chaos. We do this by honoring our choice (ie: there is always a way out). We do this by recognizing the difference between what we can and can’t control.

5. Self Care as Resistance
This year one of my words for the year is Resistance. I am committed to learn about resistance, to seek out those in history that have resisted and learn from them, to note and celebrate resistance in the here and now. I have a “Resisters I’ve learned from” list in my journal that is growing. Perhaps you can do the same-or perhaps how we will think about resistance will inspire you towards another intentional list.

Dr Ramani, an expert on narcissism and healing from narcissistic abuse, states this:
“Healing is an act of resistance, defiance, and rebellion. It requires a commitment to breaking out of long-standing cycles of self-blame and away from the existing narratives from the world at large.”¹

Consider this quote in our current discussion of how we will care for our mental health. If healing is an act of resistance and defiance, that means as we find ways to care for ourselves, it could very well be an intentional act of resistance. Resistance is immersing ourselves in the opposite of our current climate. To experience moments of joy or peace is not necessarily denial or avoidance. It can actually be an act of resistance, and arguably is vital to us transcending the current climate.

What are some words that describe our current climate? What is their opposite?

• Uncertainty
  The opposite: Certainty
  Examples: finding things you can do that you can count on; even the routine of your day, rituals that you include in your day, the rhythm of cleaning or going to the same places/doing the predictable)
  Application: What acts of certainty work for you to intentionally and mindfully practice as a form of resistance?

• Fear
  The Opposite: Peace
  Examples: I hear so many people talk about how they are intentionally shrinking their circles and activities to protect and maintain peace. What are you doing to move your body? Remember to breathe. And it is ok to say no.
  Application: What else brings you peace? Do that.

• Bewilderment
  The Opposite: Clarity
  Examples: Knowing what I can and can’t control; focusing on what we DO know now and from the people who we trust to give us accurate information; Consider finding a truth of the day to stay focused on; Make a list of 3 priorities for your day vs. a long to-do list.
  Application: What will help you to seek out clarity in the midst of a confusing climate?

• Hostility
  The Opposite: Kindness
  Examples: Have you found yourself extra moved by social media reels, commercials or tv shows that exhibit kindness? Take time for showing humanity and dignity or celebrate it when you see it. Look out for those in our community that are experiencing the most impact and seek out ways to take care of them.
  Application: Where can I show kindness as an act of resistance? Consider whom it may be the most difficult to show kindness to–how might you make a radical act of kindness? Where can you point out and celebrate kindness?

• Anger
  The Opposite: Fuel
  I won’t tell you not to be angry. You have good reason to be angry. Anger is a right response to injustice. I will tell you to use it as fuel.
  
  “Anger at injustice and inequality is in many ways exactly like fuel. A necessary accelerant it can drive-on some level, MUST drive, noble and different crusades. But it is also combustible, explosive,its power can be unpredictable and can burn….What becomes clear, when we look to the past with an eye to the future, is that the discouragement of women’s anger-via silencing, erasure, and repression-stems from the correct understanding of those in power that in the fury of women lies the power to change the world.” -R Traister².
  
  “Channel your anger, fuel it-so you can let your love be greater and stronger.”-Cory Booker’s speech to Ketanji Brown Jackson during her nomination for Supreme Court³.
  
  Examples: Channel it towards productivity and towards seeking change. Read Eloquent Rage by Dr. Brittany Cooper or Good and Mad: the revolutionary power of women’s anger, by Rebecca Traister. Learn from others by reading The Spirit of Justice: Stories of Faith, Race and Resistance by Jemar Tisby or Why Civil Resistance Works by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan.
  What about your anger towards the people who voted differently than you? First, find an outlet for your intense emotions -like exercise, yard work, deep cleaning. But also, channel that anger in some of the ways we are discussing. Finally, refuse to catch the contagion of hatred and dehumanization. Practice treating others with dignity and respect.
  Application: Where can I channel my anger as fuel? What would be a good physical outlet for all the tension I am carrying? How do I want to get involved, whether it is through boycotting, calling congressmen, protesting or volunteering for organizations who need the support? Who will I commit to treating with dignity and respect, whether online or in person?

• Greed
  The Opposite: Generosity
  Examples: Don’t stop giving out of fear. Be intentional where you give-consider organizations who are doing important work,
  Application: Have I changed my generosity due to fear? Where can I intentionally give, as an act of resistance?

• Chaos
  The Opposite: Order
  Examples: Organize your drawers! Do the dishes and appreciate how you can see the results! Make your bed each morning! Do things in the same order every day-or just be mindful of the fact that you get to create order in your day, your desk, your house. Choose one thing a day to start.
  Application: As an act of resistance, where can I start with creating order today or being mindful of order that I have already created?

• Hopelessness
  The Opposite: Hope
  Examples: Search for good news and promote it. Look for acts of humanity and celebrate them. Find ways that you see values alive and well in the USA that have not been dimmed. Honor that, find ways to be around that, and contribute to it. Protect Joy. “Do serious work in a joyful way.” -Michelle Obama, “The Light We Carry”⁴
  Application: How can I search for examples of hope? Where do I find my hope? Does that need to shift?

• Helplessness
  The Opposite: Empowerment
  Examples: This is the time to find ways to serve others-particularly looking out for populations that are the most affected by decisions-what do they need? Call representatives; stay connected to advocacy organizations that will inform and equip. Using your voice and serving others are all acts of defiance. Perhaps this is a time to step out of your comfort zone and follow others who have walked before us, modeling how to resist and how to advocate for the long haul. When you don’t know what to do–make art or support the arts. Art is a form of expression, therefore it is a way of using voice. I have found a deeper appreciation for our local high school musical season and the themes of shows like Les Miserables and Hello Girls. Seeing Suffs on Broadway in NYC had deeper meaning and I found hope and inspiration seeing & Juliet in Philadelphia. “The only right response to tyranny is to pain and dance and write.”-from the movie Lee
  
  Another form of empowerment is also to consider that you always have the freedom to say no, not today, not now, or not for me. Our actions of resistance will be different for each person and season of life. Perhaps this is not your season to go to protests, but you are raising up kids and having developmentally appropriate and honest conversations about what is going on around us.
  Application: How and where can I use my voice? How can I serve?

• Darkness/Ugliness
  The Opposite: Beauty and Light
  Examples: Seek out beauty. Have a picture of beauty on your phone screen; Go visit local gardens. Plant more flowers than normal this year. Post pictures of beauty on social media. Let the sun stream in and notice what a difference light makes. Take time to go to the ocean, hike in the forest, sit by the lake. The beauty of nature is an act of defiance towards the ugliness of evil.
  Application: What do I find beautiful? How can I immerse myself in that beauty or be exposed to it this week?

• Isolation
  The Opposite: Connection
  Examples: Have you been to a protest yet? Many people have expressed how this gave them a renewed sense of hope-why? The shared connection, the visual representation that we are not alone.
  
  Unity may not seem possible or sustainable. Holocaust Survivor, Elie Wiesel has said: “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”⁵
  
  What’s also important during this time is to focus on protecting the relationships that matter. If you find you and your partner, who share similar values and who voted the same way are at odds, protect that unity. Protect your body’s regulation so that you don’t take it out on relationships that matter the most; Unity does not mean we pretend to get along; to protect unity with family-it means finding ways to have honest conversations with your kids; You cannot always shelter them from your feelings and opinions but you should talk about things in a developmentally appropriate way and in a manner that you model emotion attunement, regulation.
  Application: Which relationships do I want to make extra effort to protect the unity? Where have I found/can I continue to seek out connection?

Conclusion:
As we conclude, I leave the following reflection questions:

• What other words would I add to describe our current climate? Which is its opposite?
• What are you already doing that you can now be mindful of in a different way? What can you do differently?
• Which ones stood out to you and why?

And I leave you with the lyrics to Keep March, from the Broadway Musical, Suffs, based on suffragists and the American women’s suffrage movement.

You won’t live to see the future that you fight for
Maybe no one gets to reach that perfect day
If the work is never over
Then how do you keep marching anyway?
Do you carry your banner as far as you can
Rewriting the world with your imperfect pen
‘Til the next stubborn girl picks it up in a picket line
Over and over again?
And you join in the chorus of centuries chanting to her
The path will be twisted, and risky, and slow
But keep marching, keep marching
Will you fail or prevail?
Well, you may never know
But keep marching, keep marching
‘Cause your ancestors are all the proof you need
That progress is possible, not guaranteed
It will only be made if we keep marching, keep marching on
Keep marching on (keep marching on)
Keep marching on (keep marching on)

And remember every mother that you came from
Learn as much from our success as our mistakes
Don’t forget you’re merely one of many others
On the journey, every generation makes
We did not end injustice and neither will you (neither will you)
But still, we made strides, so we know you can too (oh, you can too)
Make peace with our incomplete power and use it for good
‘Cause there’s so much to do (so much to do)
The gains will feel small and the losses too large
Keep marching, keep marching
You’ll rarely agree with whoever’s in charge
Keep marching, keep marching
‘Cause your ancestors are all the proof you need
That progress is possible, not guaranteed
It will only be made if we keep marching
Keep marching on (keep marching on)
Keep marching on (keep marching on)

Yes, the world can be changed, we’ve done it before
So keep marching (keep marching on), keep marching
We’re always behind you, so bang down the door
And keep marching (keep marching on), keep marching
And let history sound the alarm of how
The future demands that we fight for it now
It will only be ours if we keep marching
Keep marching on (keep marching on)

1. Durvasula, Ramani. 2024. It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing From Narcissistic People. ↩︎
2. Traister, Rebecca. Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger. Simon & Schuster, 2018. ↩︎
3. https://youtu.be/VjjvNLMyNS4?si=MXZSF2KWgyfWl5Lc ↩︎
4.  The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama ↩︎
5.  Elie Wiesel Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, December, 10, 1986 ↩︎