Midterm Elections and the Holidays: A Therapist’s Guide to Coping

Election season can bring uncertainty, strong emotions, and difficult conversations. Add holiday gatherings, family expectations, and an already full calendar, and you may find yourself feeling stretched before the celebrations even begin.

Whatever your political views, you deserve space to care for your mental health. You can care deeply about what happens in the world while also setting limits on how much you take in—and what you discuss over dinner.

These practical tips draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).

Make Room for Feelings; and Choose Your Next Step

ACT encourages us to make space for uncomfortable thoughts and feelings while taking actions that reflect our values. You don’t have to feel calm before doing something meaningful.

Name what’s here. Try: “I’m noticing anxiety,” or “I’m feeling disappointed and uncertain.” Give yourself a moment to acknowledge the feeling without immediately trying to fix it.
Create some distance from anxious predictions. Change “The holidays will be a disaster” to “I’m having the thought that the holidays will be a disaster.” This small shift can help you recognize a prediction without treating it as a certainty.

Choose a value to guide you. Ask: “How do I want to show up today?” Your answer might be with honesty, compassion, courage, or self-respect.
Take one manageable action. If you value community, check on a friend. If you value civic engagement, make a plan to participate. If you value rest, protect an evening without obligations.

Give News and Social Media a Place in Your Day

Staying informed can matter to you without becoming an all-day task.

Choose specific check-in times. Try a short news window once or twice a day, then notice whether that amount supports you.
Pause before refreshing. Ask: “Am I looking for new information, or hoping this next update will make me feel certain?”

Make room for other parts of life. Put your phone away during a meal, a walk, or time with your children.
Plan the transition. After checking the news, do something concrete: stretch, make tea, step outside, or return to a task you care about.

Say What You Need Without Starting a Debate

NVC emphasizes describing what happened, naming your feelings and needs, and making a clear request. The purpose is to make understanding possible; a request still leaves room for the other person to say no.

Describe the specific behavior. “When politics comes up repeatedly during dinner…” gives the other person something clearer to respond to than “You always ruin the holidays.”
Name your feeling and need. “I feel tense because I’m needing some ease and connection tonight.”
Make a doable request. “Would you be willing to save this conversation for another time?”

Put it together: “When our conversation turns to the election during dinner, I feel overwhelmed because I’m needing a break. Would you be willing to talk about something else while we eat?”
Decide what you’ll do if the answer is no. A boundary describes your action: “If the conversation continues, I’m going to step outside for a few minutes.”

Notice The Emotion Beneath The Argument

EFT focuses on emotions, connection, and the patterns that develop between people. These ideas can help you look more closely at what a difficult exchange brings up for you.

Check beneath the first reaction. Alongside anger, do you notice fear, hurt, sadness, or a sense of disconnection? Anger may also be a response to a crossed boundary; you don’t have to explain it away.
Share the more vulnerable feeling when it feels safe. Try: “I’m worried that disagreeing means we’ll feel less close,” or “This topic feels personal to me, and I’m feeling exposed.”

Name the pattern. “We’re getting into a cycle where I push harder and you pull away. Can we pause?”
Ask for the support you actually want. “Could you listen for a few minutes without trying to change my mind?”
Choose your audience thoughtfully. Save vulnerable conversations for people who can respond with care. You can end an exchange that becomes insulting or threatening.

Prepare a Few Phrases Before Holiday Gatherings

Having words ready can make it easier to respond when you feel caught off guard.

To decline a debate: “I’m taking a break from political conversations today.”
To acknowledge a difference: “I hear that this matters to you. I see it differently, and I’d like to leave it there.”
To redirect: “I’d love to hear how your trip went.”

To address hurtful comments: “I’m willing to talk when we can do so without insults.”
To take a break: “I’m getting overwhelmed. I’m going to step away for a bit.”
To repair your part: “I raised my voice earlier, and I’m sorry. I’d like to try again more calmly.”

Make The Holidays Fit Your Capacity

Election stress may be only one part of what you’re carrying. Grief, infertility, caregiving, financial pressure, and complicated family relationships can also make this season difficult.

Choose what matters most. Pick one or two traditions you want to prioritize. Let your available time and energy help shape the rest.
Set an arrival and departure time. A shorter visit may be more manageable than an open-ended gathering.

Ask for specific help. “Could you bring a side dish?” or “Can you handle bedtime after we get home?”
Plan support around difficult events. Arrange a check-in with a friend, a quiet evening afterward, or a walk with someone you trust.
Allow mixed feelings. You can enjoy parts of a gathering and still feel sad, anxious, or tired.

When You Feel Overwhelmed, Return to the Next Small Choice

Pause: Give yourself a moment before speaking, posting, or replying.
Orient: Feel your feet on the floor and notice a few things around you.
Name: Ask, “What am I feeling, and what do I need?”
Choose: Ask, “What action would reflect my values right now?”

That action might be listening, speaking up, changing the subject, or leaving. Your needs and the situation can guide your choice.

At Women’s Counseling NC, we help women navigate stress, relationship challenges, life transitions, and the pressure to hold everything together. If election season or the holidays are bringing up more than you can comfortably manage, therapy can offer space to process your feelings and practice tools that fit your life.