02/02/2026
If you’ve felt more anxious, distracted, tired, or checked out lately, you’re not broken. You’re paying attention.
One of my go to graphics I use with clients is the hierarchy of needs. The foundation is safety, housing, stability, and belonging. Only after those are met do we reach things like focus, achievement, purpose, and self fulfillment.
Political stress shakes that foundation. Safety. Rights. Access to care. Housing. Belonging. When those feel uncertain or under threat, your body responds exactly as it should. It moves into protection mode.
It makes sense if work feels harder. It makes sense if big goals feel far away. It makes sense if your nervous system is on edge or completely shut down. You can’t climb toward creativity, productivity, or meaning when the ground beneath you feels unstable.
This isn’t a personal resilience issue. It’s a systems issue. And your response is human.
If you’re needing more rest, more support, more boundaries, or smaller expectations right now, that’s not weakness. That’s human.
Your foundation feels shaken because it is. And you’re allowed to move at the pace of safety.
Save for when you need this gentle reminder.
