Politics used to be something we dealt with on election day. Now? It’s everywhere—at work, around the dinner table, even at the barbershop.

I experienced this firsthand recently when I took my kids for their usual haircuts. We’d been going to the same place for years. You know the type—baseball posters on the walls, photos of happy customers, that comfortable neighborhood feel. But something was different this time. Political signs and merchandise had appeared everywhere, making silent statements about things we’d never discussed before.

Our barber, who’d always kept his personal views to himself, looked uncomfortable. “I’m thinking about finding a new job,” he told me quietly. Just like that, politics had made him feel like a stranger in his own workplace.

His story isn’t unusual. It’s happening all across America, and it’s taking a real toll on our mental health.

The Stress Is Real

The numbers tell a sobering story. A 2024 study by the American Psychological Association found that 8 out of 10 adults say worrying about the country’s future is a major source of stress. It’s gotten so bad that 2 out of 5 people have actually considered moving—either to another state or even another country—just to get away from it all.

And we can’t escape it. News isn’t just the evening broadcast anymore—it’s a constant stream on our phones, computers, and TVs. Research from 2023 showed that politics triggered negative emotions 81% of the time people were tracking their daily experiences. We’re talking about fatigue, irritability, feeling hopeless, even getting physically sick.

Here’s what really caught my attention: a 2017 study found that political stress can damage your health as much as drinking too much alcohol. The researchers discovered that politics was causing serious problems for millions of Americans:

• 94 million people felt stressed because of politics
• 44 million lost sleep over it
• 30 million said it hurt them physically
• 11 million even had thoughts of suicide

When they checked again in 2020, things had only gotten worse. More anxiety, more physical symptoms, more families fighting. As one researcher put it, “Politics isn’t just upsetting people—it’s cutting them off from each other.”

When Politics Ends Friendships

The damage to our relationships is heartbreaking. A recent poll found that 1 in 4 Americans have lost a friend over political disagreements. Nearly 1 in 10 romantic relationships have ended the same way.

Think about that for a moment. We’re already dealing with what experts call a “loneliness epidemic,” and now we’re losing close relationships over political differences too.

So What Can We Do?

I get it—sometimes it feels like we should just tune out completely. But there are better ways to handle political stress:

Give yourself a news diet. Being informed matters, but endless scrolling through upsetting headlines doesn’t make you more informed—it just makes you miserable. Try reading a quick news summary in the morning, then step away.

Connect with people who share your values. Join a group, volunteer for a cause you care about, or just have honest conversations with like-minded friends. When we feel like we’re part of something bigger, the anxiety shrinks.

Take care of your body and mind. Go for a walk, pick up that hobby you’ve been putting off, create something. These aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re necessary for managing stress.

Try to see the human in people you disagree with. You don’t have to change your beliefs, but maybe read something from a different perspective or have a respectful conversation with someone who sees things differently. You might not change your mind, but you might soften your heart.

Getting Back to What Really Matters

The more divided we become politically, the more we need each other as human beings. We need our friends, our families, our coworkers, and our neighbors. It’s not only possible to disagree and still care about each other—it’s essential.

Let’s stop letting the news cycle steal our peace. Instead, let’s focus on the connections that make life meaningful.

Because when it comes down to it, we’re all in this together. The people in our lives matter more than the headlines that divide us.