13 Practical Ways Black Women Can Protect Their Mental Health This Election Season

À la Vice President Kamala Harris, I have stress-eaten my fair share of Doritos since the 2016 presidential election. From paper towels being thrown at the people of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017 to the cruel questioning of VP Harris’ biracial heritage last month, I’ve personally taken so many culturally-based hits to my mental health over the past eight years. And the outrageous attacks continue to flood the political landscape. Just last night, Donald Trump repeated running mate JD Vance’s disgusting and false claims about Haitian immigrants. The onslaughts won’t let up, which is why I’ve been figuring out ways to combat my election stress and anxiety since January. Lately, that self-preservation looks like morning Peloton rides and honest conversations with my mom, who lived during the Civil Rights movement and reminds me that this political turmoil is nothing new, and that we will make it through. But even with my attempts to protect my mental health during this charged political season, I’m exhausted—and I know I’m not alone. Black women, in particular, have been taught to shoulder the problems of the world around us, and to take that back-breaking pressure on the chin, for...