Some Tips on Riding This Out More Calmly

Over the past few days, I’ve been inundated with texts, emails and DMs from extremely anxious and even panicked liberals, progressives and moderates. What are we going to do? Should we switch horses now while we still can? Why is the media being so awful? Why are some people still so calm in the face of this threat?

I’ve had a few days to absorb and process the various calls for help, the stress and even the alarm, and I’d like to offer a few thoughts.

First, if your feed and the news are giving you anxiety, take a break from them. The New York Times has run 192 stories about Biden’s debate performance and only six about Project 2025, according to media watch groups, since Thursday night. They know what causes clicks and reads, so just don’t give them the satisfaction. Just put the phone / laptop / paper down, and you’ve won half the battle. (I highly recommend switching to more reasonable, independent sources on places like Substack! My own favorite writers include a daily read of Heather Cox Richardson and Joyce Vance.)

Second, remain pragmatic and helpful. Let these be your guiding principles. The question of whether Biden will stay in the race is one only he can answer, with the input of his family and closest advisors. His answer has been an emphatic yes, and we should support that if we really want to win. Editorial boards and politicians looking to exploit the moment for attention aren’t going to sway him, and neither is a long diatribe posted on social media. It may make you feel better in the moment, but it’s unhelpful to our mutual goal.

Third, focus on all the good things that this administration has accomplished, and continue to remind friends, especially those on the fence, about the dangers of a second Trump presidency and Project 2025. There is a LONG time between now and the election, and we need to take the moment now to practice our civic discussions.

Fourth, decatastrophize your thinking. We’re all good at imagining the worst outcomes. But we can usually picture a far better outcome, too, like Biden winning by a comfortable margin and the Democrats holding the Senate and taking back the House. But we must do more than just imagine it. We must take at least one affirmative step toward that goal to make it more likely, even if it is a small one. Maybe it’s donating $5. Maybe it’s sharing good news. Maybe it’s making some calls or writing some postcards. Actions change outcomes. Anxiety alone does not.

Fifth and finally, don’t beat yourself up for feeling anxious or stressed. If you aren’t feeling a bit unnerved, then you’re not paying attention. But if you remain informed and engaged, then the stresses that come at you can be turned to productive use, because you will have made yourself bigger than them and know what needs to be done. Be kind to yourself, treat others with grace, even or especially if they’re freaking out, and remind yourself and those around you that we can get through this and come out even stronger than before.

I don’t know what the next weeks or months will hold. But I do know that no matter what happens, I will work as hard as I can to defeat Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans in November. It is now a profound patriotic duty to do so, because they have become enemies of democracy itself.

Our mission is crystal clear even if our current bearings are not. But we will find the path forward soon, and we will apply all our effort and heart to it.

And together, we can do this.

Jay