How to stay somewhat sane under authoritarianism

If you're a fan of democracy, there's a good chance your mental health has not been great lately. On any given day, you might be exposed to videos of ICE agents assaulting people in American cities, news of Nazi-loving Republican staffers, the Supreme Court dismantling voting rights, political prosecutions and more.

However, those of us who care about democracy won't be able to effectively defend it if we're wallowing in misery, so it's important that we maintain some level of mental health. I'm not saying we're going to become enlightened paragons of inner peace here, but a functional level of mental health is necessary.

I've been writing about psychology and neuroscience for about 14 years, and I'm someone who's struggled with chronic anxiety for about that long, so I think about the inner workings of the mind quite a bit. Watching this country be torn apart has obviously been difficult, but I think I've identified some ways to stay relatively sane.

First of all—and this may seem obvious, but it bears repeating—community is crucial. The worst thing for your mental health is isolation. I'm somewhat introverted, so I understand the appeal of staying home and avoiding other human beings, but it's not good for your brain when you overindulge in solitude.

Too much time alone can lead to spiraling and depression, so it's important to leave the house semi-regularly. Getting out of the house might mean something as simple as a walk or a drive to the grocery store some days.

It might mean grabbing a coffee or a drink with a friend. It might mean going to a protest. That last one is the most effective for helping your mental health while democracy is crumbling, because it feels like a social event, and it feels like hope. You feel less alone in your concerns about the state of the country, and you feel like you're helping to push back.

The next thing I think is important right now is perspective. Are you doing something to fight back against authoritarianism? If you're doing something, like going to protests, then you should feel good about that. I think of protests and writing as doing something in my own world.

Maybe for someone else it's volunteering in their community or political organizing or donating some of their income to causes they care about. Whatever it is, we can only do so much as individuals, and every little bit helps the greater cause. Again, we can only do so much as individuals—that's important to remember.

The next thing is creativity and fun. Maybe you make music with friends. Maybe you write. Maybe you paint. Maybe you put on a frog costume and go to a protest. It's important to activate the creative part of your brain, and sometimes you can do that in explicitly political ways. Perhaps you're part of a group that's making signs or floats or whatever for the next protest, and you'll probably have a good time doing that.

The final thing is recognition. It's important to recognize where good things are happening and embrace those things. I know it can feel like there's nothing good happening out there, but you just have to look for it.

For me, I find hope in the mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani. I don't live in New York and won't be affected at all by him getting elected, but when I see his videos and the groundswell of support his positive message is receiving, it inspires me and makes me feel like not everything is absolutely terrible.