By Scott M. Banford, LCSW
I remember hearing back in 2017 Steve Bannon, a first term Trump advisor, saying the administration’s strategy was to keep citizens and the media off balance so they couldn’t focus on everything going on.
And now DOGE is seemingly running rampant through our government.
Every department and every institution of democracy is getting hit. It really is too much to keep track of, and if you try, you quickly become overwhelmed and incapacitated. That’s part of the plan.
Scott Banford, LCSW
My recommendation is, pick one area you care about. Learn what you can in that area and tune the rest out. Find an organization working in that area and lock-in with them. To be effective, we need to be able to keep moving forward. We have a long game ahead of us which will require resilience and fortitude.
I suggest focusing on four areas to strengthen your resilience and bolster your fortitude.
First, focus on your self-awareness and mental health. Many of us are struggling with anxiety right now. Those feelings are real, and you are worth the effort to understand them and work through them. Find someone you can talk to, so you don’t feel isolated and alone, and work towards solutions. Mindfulness practices can help ground you and gain insight into yourself. Journaling can help you sort through thoughts and feelings and make them manageable. Of course, as a psychotherapist I must advocate for talking to a therapist if you can.
Second, focus on your selfcare. Usually, the advice here is eat right and exercise, use good sleep hygiene, and take a break from news and social media to rest and rejuvenate. You are not going to be able to keep up with all the rapid change and consequences—pace yourself. It can mean treating yourself to ice cream or your favorite snack. Self-care shouldn’t be a chore; it is supposed to restore you.
Third, find and/or maintain your social support network. This is the place where people know you and you know them, and you can encourage and support one another. These places can be easy to find. You may have close family or friends. There are faith communities like churches, synagogues and mosques. Some people are members of a lodge or bowling league. Think of the TV show Cheers, “the bar where everyone knows your name”. In Kentucky I started a peer support group for NASW members this past December. We meet once a month for an hour via Zoom. You can ask your NASW Chapter representative to start one. I also lead a peer group at my church.
Fourth, get engaged in the larger community. In this area, having made the decision to get involved, you apply your problem-solving mindset to the larger community. You get to choose how you want to contribute with either your time, effort or donation. I recently spoke with Dr. Tami Gouviea, Director and Paul Farmer Professor of Practice at Boston University, head of the Beyond Project 2025 database including an action tool kit. She said there are not enough people protesting and marching, and to that activism I would add phoning or writing politicians, as well as visiting local congressional offices and attending town halls.
In the meantime, NASW has resources for you. State NASW Chapters have resources as well. For example, the NASW Massachusetts put out a Post-Election Toolkit right after the election. Contact your state NASW Chapter for resources they may have to help guide you.
We will get through this.
Scott Banford is the northern branch chair in the NASW Kentucky chapter.
