Following any presidential inauguration, a portion of the country finds themselves feeling safer and more comfortable, while the other feels increasingly threatened and oppressed. This transition, particularly for many of those who serve in higher education and/or prevention organizations like Partners in Prevention, has been particularly difficult.
However, even if this is not the case for you, your presence on your campus may place you in a position where others look to you for help finding their day-to-day way forward. You may be someone’s resource to help figure out how to feel physically, mentally, or emotionally safer. In life, we will all encounter times when we do not feel comfortable or safe. But, while we may not be able to control the world around us, we can take steps such as the ones below to help stabilize the world within us.
Tips for Increasing Mental Safety During Crisis
Safety of Routine: When things are difficult, sometimes we abandon our usual routines. It is important to remember that our minds and bodies like predictable routines. As much as you are able, maintain your regular sleep routines, hygiene practices, exercise, and eating and social patterns. Aim toward things that will help your mind and body say, “Oh, yes. I recognize that.” Familiarity supports our psychological safety.
Environmental Safety: Our access to environmental safety has a lot to do with economic status, privilege, and available resources. That said, to the degree that you are able or have access, increase your physical safety and comfort. Be with encouraging people. Make your living environment physically comfortable and safe. Stay in for a while if you’d like as long as you aren’t isolated. If it feels better, lock your doors, turn on lights, read a good book, or watch an uplifting show. Even small gestures can say to your mind, “I’ve got you. We’re safe here.”
Information Safety: Unless you are in immediate danger and need to know the current news, there is a different mental impact to watching the news constantly as it unfolds vs. catching the headlines later. Our minds benefit from debriefing important details rather than obsessing over every nuance. Consider the psychological safety of checking in with what is going on once a day, rather than more frequently.
Lack of Change: We do not always have control over how much change is in our lives. But, to the degree that we do, avoiding drastic changes during times of mental overwhelm or social/personal crisis can be helpful. If there are changes you need or want to make during these difficult days that’s one thing. But, if you don’t have to change things, keeping things as much the same may be helpful.
Finally, the undercurrent political division means that any additional threat to our safety, personal, national, or otherwise, can feel overwhelming. To stay psychologically safe, consider remaining consistent with your routines, creating physical safety and comfort, limiting crisis information intake, and avoiding significant changes as possible. It is always a good practice to take care of the safety within when the safety outside feels uncertain.
Published February 3, 2025 by Anne Rulo, Author, Speaker, Therapist. www.annerulo.com. FB/IG/Twitter @annemrulo