How Therapy Can Help with Political and Environmental Anxiety

Feeling the Weight of the World? You’re Not Alone.

If you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at night spiraling about wildfires, elections, or the future your kids will inherit, you are in good company. The world today can feel incredibly unpredictable, and it is having significant effects on our mental health. While many of these things may feel out of your control and unfixable, therapy might help more than you think.

At Grit Therapy, we see a growing number of people struggling with political anxiety, climate grief, and a sense of helplessness. These aren’t just personal struggles; they’re collective ones. And yet, most of us try to deal with them alone.

Here’s how therapy can support you in facing the uncertainty and intensity of our times.

What Is Political and Environmental Anxiety?

Political anxiety is the stress, fear, or anger you feel when the news cycle won’t stop spinning and you don’t know how to protect your rights, your values, or your community.

Environmental anxiety (also called climate anxiety or eco-grief) is the emotional toll of witnessing ecological collapse, whether it’s melting ice caps, fire season, or water shortages.

These forms of anxiety often show up as:

• Feeling hopeless or powerless

• Obsessive news consumption or doomscrolling

• Physical symptoms like fatigue, irritability, or insomnia

• Guilt about not doing “enough”

• Emotional disconnection or avoidance

And while these feelings are completely valid, therapy can help you understand, manage, and address them in more empowering, kind ways.

How Therapy Can Help

1. Making Space for Grief and Rage

Many clients come in with political or eco-anxiety and worry that they’re “too sensitive" for the world we live in. But your big emotions aren’t the problem, they’re actually a healthy response to an unhealthy world. Therapy provides a nonjudgmental space to name your grief, express your anger, and process fear in a way that’s grounded and healing.

We often use approaches like:

• IFS (Internal Family Systems) to help explore conflicting parts (the outraged activist vs. the burned-out avoider)

• EMDR to help clients process trauma and respond to the world from a place of centeredness instead of trauma triggers

• Psychodynamic and relational therapy to explore deeper patterns of meaning, control, and fear

2. Building Emotional Resilience

The goal of therapy isn’t to feel “fine” about things that aren’t fine. It’s to build your capacity to stay grounded in the face of hard truths. It can help you develop grit, strength, and resilience.

This might include:

• Nervous system regulation (breathwork, body-based techniques)

• Creating boundaries with media consumption

• Normalizing cycles of hope, anger, and burnout

• Learning how to rest and engage in sustainable ways

3. Turning Anxiety Into Aligned Action

One of the most empowering outcomes of therapy is learning how to channel anxiety into aligned, meaningful action on an ongoing, committed basis, while also taking care of your personal needs.

You might discover:

• What kind of activism or advocacy actually lights you up

• How to engage without retraumatizing yourself

• How to balance caring for the world with caring for yourself

We’ve worked with clients who have:

• Changed careers to align with climate justice

• Joined mutual aid groups

• Started healing-centered conversations with friends and family

• Reconnected to joy, purpose, and community

4. Healing the Isolation

These forms of anxiety are often deeply isolating. You might feel like you're the only one who sees how bad things are, or that everyone around you has gone numb. Therapy helps restore connection to your values, your body, and others who care.

You’re Not “Too Sensitive.” You’re Paying Attention.

In a culture that often rewards detachment, your sensitivity is a strength. It means you care. And that’s something we can work with, not suppress.

At Grit Therapy, we’re here to support people navigating the emotional impacts of political and environmental uncertainty. We believe that tending to your mental health is not only a personal act of healing, but a political one, too.

Reach Out

If you're struggling with political anxiety, climate grief, or a sense of burnout from trying to stay engaged, therapy can help. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can support you in building a more resilient and meaningful life.

Book a Free Consultation

No commitment necessary, just schedule a time to speak one-on-one with a therapist to see if working with us is right for you. Email info@grittherapy.com to get scheduled!