Dealing with Stress Over Women’s Battle for Reproductive Rights
The fight for women’s reproductive rights has been a constant topic of conversation over the years. Recently, it’s become more prevalent, urgent, and for many, deeply personal. The news, debates, social media posts, and constant setbacks can feel overwhelming for everyone.
No matter if you’re involved in advocacy, watching the legal and political development unfold, or just trying to process your own emotions. If you’re feeling anxious, angry, burned out, heartbroken, or overwhelmed, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Even if you are considering anxiety therapy, there are other steps you can take to deal with stress over women’s battle for reproductive rights.
Acknowledge Your Emotions
Reproductive rights aren’t just political; they’re also deeply personal to many women all over the world. Reproductive rights are about a woman’s autonomy, identity, and sense of safety. It’s completely normal to feel angry, numb, exhausted, sad, and powerless when these basic human rights are being threatened. Instead of trying to dismiss or ignore these feelings, allow yourself to feel them, no matter how difficult some of them may be. You don’t have to be the strong one all of the time. Allowing yourself to feel and acknowledging these feelings shows how much you care.
Limit Your Media Consumption
It’s important to stay informed, but it’s equally important to protect your overall peace. Constant exposure to distressing headlines, negative news, and doomscrolling on websites or social media can fuel your anxiety and sense of hopelessness. To protect your peace, try setting boundaries about how much news you’re consuming each day. Make sure you’re also being mindful of the news sources that you’re reading, watching, or listening to. Choose a handful of sources that you consider to be trusted, and make sure that you’re being intentional instead of impulsive when checking them. Try to find a balance in the type of content that you’re consuming. For every article you read that is hard, you should try to balance it with information that is soothing or inspiring.
Lean on Your Loved Ones
Try not to bottle up your emotions. This can make the stress that you’re experiencing even heavier. Find trusted people who share your values and beliefs to talk to, like your family, friends, or a support group. These are the people that you can share your fears and frustrations with without any judgment. Plus, listening to their concerns can help you feel a little less alone. These conversations can help you problem solve, but also process how you’re feeling.
Take Action
If you feel hopeless or helpless, it can lead to more stress. So, how does one overcome this? Try to take action! Small and consistent actions can help you shift your fears into a sense of purpose. Here are some of the different ways that you can take action:
- Donate your time, money, or skills to a local organization
- Engage in respectful conversations to raise awareness
- Volunteer at advocacy groups, clinics, or helplines
- Write or call lawmakers
Seek Professional Support
If your stress starts to become unbearable or unmanageable, consider talking to a therapist. Feeling down from time to time is normal, but if your anxiety, depression, or panic is starting to affect your daily life and routine, it may be time to bring in extra support. Reaching out for help can be one of the strongest things you can do. Plus, it’s important to remember that you can’t fill someone else’s cup if yours is completely empty. If you’re not supporting yourself, you won’t have enough energy to be able to fight for your rights and the rights of others.
Try to seek support from a mental health professional who specializes in trauma-informed care and has an understanding of gender dynamics and social justice. Your mental health matters just as much as the causes that you’re so passionate about. Reach out today to set up an initial consultation.