Yes, The Trump Presidency Might Be Affecting Your Mental Health. Here’s How To Cope.

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Things are not ok. Here’s how you can help yourself.

At The Perinatal Collective, our mission is to support parents and parents-to-be  through mental health challenges. Upon hearing that, postpartum depression may first come to mind. In reality though, we support parents of all kinds through so much more than that: identity changes, relationship struggles, feeling isolated as an LGBTQ+ parent, defining values and resisting societal pressure, to name a few. 

Mental health is essential to overall health and function. Unfortunately, these days there are so many factors putting stress on the mental wellbeing of much of the population. Since we treat parents in our practice every day, we hear many of the same worries over and over again and it’s therefore impossible not to address the toll that U.S. politics is having on parents. 

Political anxiety is just as valid as postpartum anxiety, pregnancy anxiety, health anxiety, or any other mental health struggle. In fact, The Globe reported that political anxiety is a significant health concern. 

With Donald Trump as the president, parents (both in Canada where we work, and abroad) are now faced with a number of serious concerns. BIPOC families, LGBTQ+ parents and parents of trans kids in Canada may fear racist, anti-trans and homophobic sentiment growing in Canada. 

With Trump threatening tariffs against Canada, Canadian parents are often caught worrying what’s in store for the economy and how that’ll affect personal finances and meeting basic family needs. With Trump coming in with a strong stance against immigrants, refugee and immigrant parents are often unpacking traumas related to their journeys to Canada. Effects of climate change also cause anxiety as we wonder how our children and future generations of our families will fare. 

And of course, there’s reproductive rights. 

With reproductive rights under attack and being taken away from people across the border, many parents in Canada are re-living traumatic births, are confronted by triggers related to fertility or loss, need support as they ask tough questions around family planning or pregnancy termination, and fear what could be in store for the future of our country. 

This is just a simplified list. In short, parents are really stressed out, under a lot of pressure, and not doing all that well. If you relate, the below ways might help you cope in an environment that has caused you to feel chronically anxious and as though you have no control.  

Allow big emotions to come through 

Difficult emotions can be hard to feel but don’t suppress them. Anger, grief, outrage, sadness, fear, or disappointment are all tough to sit with but pretty par for the course in today’s landscape. Bottling it up will only keep these emotions at bay for so long and can have negative health effects. Or, it can lead to avoidance behaviours. Neither of which are what you want. 

Don’t overlook the basics 

There’s a reason why therapists prescribe basic self-care—every day but especially during tough times. Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally means that you’re facing the world with a full cup and a solid foundation. Depleting your resources only makes everything feel worse. Basic self-care means moving every day, drinking water, eating enough and eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and being in a healthy environment. 

Focus on what you can control 

We can’t control U.S. politics, decisions of others, or what’s already done. What we can control is ourselves, what we teach our kids, what media and entertainment we consume (and when!), our home environment, how we react, the values we choose to live by as a family, and how we show up in our relationships. Focus on these. 

Limit news intake if you must

You don’t have to read, watch, and listen to every single update. The scrolling and news obsessing can take over if you let it. That can leave you feeling totally spent and emotionally depleted before you’ve even done any of your day-to-day things. You’re allowed to get just the top story, or hold off entirely for now. You can always disengage for the time being and return to world events when you have a little more mental steam to actually deal with it. As a parent, you have enough demanding your attention as it is!

Cleanse the social media feed 

If it doesn’t make you feel good, get rid of it. Seriously, now is a great time to take a look at social feeds and unfollow anything or anyone who makes you feel angry, triggered, or upset. Or that doesn’t present checked facts. That can include media, brands, and people who don’t align with your values. You get to curate your experience. After the cleanse, replace these with anything that makes you feel better. What makes you happy? What do you want more of? Mental health accounts? Cute animals? Slow living lifestyle accounts? Think of this curation as both preventing triggers and adding glimmers for the days that lie ahead.

Get the help you need 

Do you need support? Is something about the news cycle bringing up a past experience or taking a toll in a way that’s beyond manageable? Right now, parents are carrying a lot and it’s a heavy mental load (on top of what’s already a significant burden: parenting). That’s especially true for parents in oppressed groups or with past trauma. Do you need the help of a therapist? If you need guidance, a sympathetic ear, help processing, or tools to deal with anxiety, that’s exactly what we’re here for. Know when it’s time to ask! 

Be supportive to others

Others need your help, positive actions, words, and compassion. If there are parents in your community who need support, be there. Some also find volunteer or purpose-driven projects to be helpful when dealing with political anxiety. 

Book medical appointments for peace of mind 

When the world feels chaotic, we often reach for what we can do for ourselves and our families. With reproductive rights being a particularly triggering and hot button topic, parents in Canada might find themselves wanting to be better informed about their fertility and contraception options. The situation in Canada is obviously very different to the U.S. but nevertheless, reproductive care being in the headlines means it’s on our minds. The Guardian reported that shortly after the U.S. election, appointments or inquiries about vasectomies, tubal litigation, IUDs, and birth control implants spiked. With all of this talk, you might just want to check in on your own family planning strategies. 

Resist avoidant strategies

During good times, we might be on top of sleep, exercise routines, and health. During uncertain or anxiety-provoking times though, it can be so easy to fall into avoidant strategies. That’s the doom scrolling, overworking, binge-watching too much TV, indulging in alcohol, or over-sleeping. If you catch yourself drifting toward these habits, try to resist if you can. They only make everything feel worse. 

Take a break from fertility and family planning conversations 

The Guardian also reported a number of (American) parents questioning starting or building families. While reproductive rights remain intact in Canada, fears around climate change or Trump ideologies spreading affect Canadians more directly. It’s valid to have conflicting feelings over whether or not to start or grow your family right now. *And* it’s also ok if you need to take a break from thinking about—or discussing—this altogether.  

Get clear on your values and communicate them with your kids 

What are your values as an individual and as a family? Some parents find it helpful to have age-appropriate conversations with their children not only to explain what’s going on in the world, but how to show up for those around us. Let them hear these things from you with intelligent explanations they’ll understand. 

Find your community 

From parenting groups, to the moms you run into at drop-off, to social gatherings with family friends, your community is what ultimately pulls you through. These are the people who see you, support you, and likely share the same concerns. Without them, this would all feel so much harder so make community a priority. 

Look for glimmers 

Finally, shift your focus to the little things. Glimmers are the positive little things that calm your nervous system and bring moments of joy. Think gorgeous sunsets, a cute puppy on your walk, a rainbow after an intense shower, your kids saying something funny, or the first taste of the homemade soup you and your kids made together. These things seem so small but they do so much to improve your days. 

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About The perinatal collective

Welcome! So glad you're here. 

We're a team of mental health therapists across Canada with advanced education and experience in perinatal mental health, meaning you don't have to cross your fingers and hope that we understand how hard this stage can be.

We understand the nuances of the early stages of parenthood: how typical counselling strategies may not be relevant to parents with young kids, and how mental health challenges look different during this time.  

From deciding to have children, to navigating your journey through fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, relationship changes, parenting, career demands and beyond, parenthood can be full with challenges.

Our goal is to help you manage the peaks and valleys of the entire journey, while staying connected to yourself, and feeling whole, along the way.