What to Do If the Overturning of Roe v. Wade Makes You Anxious

How could they do this? Why would they do this? This can’t be real. Am I dreaming? This is a nightmare.

Negative thoughts and emotions fill you. With each thought, a new emotion takes over. Despite your best efforts, you can’t seem to shake this. This decision affects people all across the United States.

Here’s what to do if the overturning of Roe v. Wade makes you anxious.

Identify Your Emotions

Holding all of those thoughts and emotions inside will eventually lead to a blowup in order to release them. The sooner you are able to recognize and acknowledge how you’re thinking and feeling, the sooner you’ll be able to work toward recovery and healing.

Accepting those feelings is actually better than storing them away. For one, it helps you feel better at the moment instead of holding onto those thoughts or feelings and carrying them with you. Taking the time to check in with yourself will help you better determine your exact thoughts and feelings and find ways to help you cope with them. After you find the right coping technique, when you think or feel that way again, you’ll feel everything in a less intense way.

Focus On Your Needs

Self-care looks different from person to person. It’s extremely important when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or experiencing other intense emotions to incorporate self-care.

Focus on what your body needs at the moment. Go for a walk outside. Listen to music. Turn on Netflix and chill at home for the night.

Find what works best for you to relax and relieve some of the stress you’re feeling.

Set Boundaries

You’re reading, seeing, and hearing about it online, on your television, on the radio, in the newspaper, and even on social media.

You may even be trying to use some of these things as a way to check out or decompress after a long day. If you can’t seem to step back or get away from the situation, it may be a good time to implement boundaries.

Try to set time limits or time frames in your day to watch the news, read the newspaper, or scroll on social media. This can prevent you from mindlessly scrolling and spiraling down a deeper hole into those negative thoughts and emotions.

Practice Relaxation Techniques

It may be easier said than done to relax right now, but it’s worth a shot, right?

Just like practicing self-care, relaxation techniques will also depend on the person, so you’ll have to try a few out to see what works best for you.

There are several deep breathing techniques that can help ground you and pull you back into the present moment instead of thinking about the past or future events.

Sometimes incorporating movement is a great way to help your body naturally release endorphins and relieve stress. Going for a walk, practicing yoga, or practicing meditation can be a great way for your body to begin to relax.

Seek Additional Support

If you’re still feeling anxious after the news of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, you’re definitely not alone. Change is hard in general, but it’s even harder to adapt when you could never imagine something like this happening to begin with.

Reach out to friends, family, or loved ones for support. Talking about how you’re thinking and feeling can be a great way to get everything out in the open and help you realize that you truly aren’t alone in how you’re feeling.

If you need additional support or other resources to help you cope during this time, reach out to us today to set up a consultation with a therapist. The world is a tough place to navigate, but we’ll help you find ways to feel safer in your body again.

Click here for more information on anxiety therapy.