Is politics bad for your mental health?

A personal reflection.

I have written — and thought — about two topics more than any others in my adult life: Politics and mental health.

For a very long time, it never occurred to me that the two might be linked: That the way I was feeling — anxious mostly — might be linked, directly or indirectly, to the profession I had chosen.

That changed after CNN laid me off in 2022. I remember distinctly telling my psychologist that I had been SO happy there and now I was miserable. She stopped me and said: “You weren’t happy there. I have the notes!”

After all, politics — and political journalism — these days is not exactly stress-free. The stakes are high. The personalities are big. There are no rules (or close to no rules) governing how people behave. The online dialogue (and I use that word advisedly) is not only awful but incentivizes people who behave badly.

The thing is that I still love politics. Love writing and talking about it. When I left CNN, I could have done a lot of other things. But I found myself gravitating back to this. Because, deep down, it’s what I really enjoy doing.

But, I think my eyes are now more open to the impact that doing what I love has on my internal life. (Yes, loving something is a double-edged sword. You may have realized this long before me.) Spending too much time with this stuff can absolutely have a detrimental impact on how I feel about myself and how I feel about where we are (and where we are heading) as a country.

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Which brings me to a conversation I had with a longtime friend — and Republican operative — named Bob Honold earlier this week. (Bob is a great guy even though he is a Syracuse fan.)

He pointed me to a Facebook post by a guy named Robert Harding, a political reporter for the Auburn Citizen (it covers central and western New York).

Here’s the post Robert wrote:

For two years, I have been working on bettering myself. I had a physical health “scare” (diabetes diagnosis) and that prompted me to begin a weight loss regimen — a diet and exercise routine that I have maintained. 

My physical health has improved. I have lost more than 60 pounds and kept it off. Now, the focus is on my mental health. 

I have struggled with anxiety, on and off, since I was 13 years old. When I was younger, I didn't know it was anxiety. But as I got older, I recognized the symptoms I had in the past were associated with anxiety. Because of certain experiences, my anxiety is focused on health-related concerns. I am seeking therapy to improve my mental health. That process began last week. 

A key part of living a healthier lifestyle was finding a work-life balance. I have taken on other challenges with work and these have made me a happier (and better) journalist. These opportunities made me realize I had to address an “elephant in the room”: political reporting. 

I enjoyed political reporting, but that changed when Layla arrived. I wanted time for myself and my family. The way I used to cover politics wouldn't make that possible. 

But I realized something else — I actually don't love political reporting, at least not anymore. I like covering issues and things that matter to everyday people. My interactions with campaigns have grown increasingly negative. That affects my health, mainly my mental health. 

What am I going to do about it? I'm done. I will continue to report on governments (from local to federal) and public policy. I will continue to report on other important stories, such as Wells College's closure. But I no longer see a prominent place for political reporting in my daily work life. It is better this way. 

I am going to finish covering these primary elections, which have convinced me that I'm making the right decision. After that, election coverage will become less of a priority. 

I appreciate all of you who have followed my political coverage over the years. I hope you continue to follow and support my work.

I was struck by Robert’s honesty, his transparency and, yes, his decision to walk away from political journalism. His struggles with his mental health and how his job played a role in those struggles very much hit home for me.

So, I reached out to him. And asked if we could chat a bit more about his decision. He agreed. Our conversation — conducted via email and lightly edited for flow — is below.

Chris: I was struck by the openness about mental health vis a vis your job in your post.  Is that new for you or have you always shared like that in a public forum?

Robert: I have been open to sharing so much about myself because it's real. My struggle with anxiety dates back to my early teen years, so it’s something I have lived with for most of my life. (I'm 38.) I wanted to share it because I know others have the same struggle, so it was important for me to let them know they aren't alone.

Overcoming that stigma was a priority for me because talking about my anxiety makes me feel better. It's why I decided to pursue therapy a few years ago. Anti-anxiety medication may work for some people, but it wasn't the answer for me. 

My journalism career began as social media platforms, namely Twitter, grew. Twitter helped me build an audience beyond my small newspaper's traditional coverage area. It also helped me build connections with people who feel like they know me, even if we've only met in person once or twice. Part of that was sharing the personal side and, over time, my anxiety experience. 

Chris: You talk about the need to find work-life balance. HOW are you trying to do that?  Specifically.

Robert: I began focusing on my health in my 30s, but that took a backseat during the pandemic. I was working long hours to cover this historic event, but it came at a cost. I wasn't exercising. I gained a lot of weight. When the vaccine was available, I wasn't eligible based on my age. But I moved up in line because of my blood pressure. 

I thought the wake-up call would be the birth of my daughter, but it didn't come until months after she was born. In July 2022, my doctor called and told me, “You have Type 2 diabetes.” I knew from my blood work that I was trending in that direction, but I always put it off because of work. Now, I didn't have a choice. Something needed to change. 

Initially, I thought I had to change my relationship with food — and, I’ll admit, I wasn't eating healthy. But what I really needed was to change my relationship with work. That was the root of these problems. 

To be clear, I wasn’t being forced to work long hours. I thought that was necessary to do this job at a high level. But at what cost? For years, I didn't think much about the future. My daughter changed that. I wanted to be here for her. I wanted to see her grow up. 

How I found balance: It starts with morning walks. I take a brisk morning walk every morning with my daughter. I work remotely, so I return home and work for the rest of the morning. My lunch break is spent with my daughter, then I resume my work for the afternoon. There are days when the schedule shifts because I might be covering something in the evening or I set up an interview and have to meet someone. But I'm less willing to give up my evenings and weekends because I prefer to spend that time with family. It helps to have a balanced schedule after years of working some wild hours. 

Chris: You write that you have fallen out of love with covering politics. Is that about you, our political moment or both?

Robert: Both. People, despite what we say, change. I have evolved. As a 23-year-old entering this business, I relished the opportunity to cover politics. I have long been interested in politics and journalism was one way to be involved in the process. I have a lot of great memories covering campaigns over the years. But my life has changed after my daughter's birth and the demands of political coverage can get in the way. 

The state of our politics also contributes to that feeling. When I first started and campaigns were less reliant on social media, they wanted to establish relationships with local reporters in smaller markets. Now, they can just post whatever they want on Facebook or X without the added scrutiny. The relationship-building part is less of a priority. 

Chris: Are things worse today than say, 5 years ago, in terms of politics and how it’s covered? How so?

Robert: I don't know if it’s worse or if I'm just coming to the realization that, for me, the environment is too toxic. When I wrote my Facebook post, one of the comments was from my city's mayor. It reminded me that I actually enjoyed covering the local elections because the cycle was short — most people start paying attention in the weeks leading up to Election Day — and the candidates knew me, so there was mutual respect. 

I’ve had multiple people tell me over the years that politics isn't a game, yet they treat it like one. In fact, they treat it like an NFL season. The bulk of the campaign is the regular season. The final weeks, when debates are held and door-knocking ramps up, are the playoffs. Election Day is the Super Bowl. 

I agree there are many important issues on the ballot every election year, and those issues should be debated. But the year-long campaigns have to stop. It's not sustainable for the people involved — or our country. 

Chris: Finish this sentence: “The healthiest and best way cover politics is _____________.” Now, explain. 

Robert: “To focus on what matters to people.”

Avoid the games. It may not be the sexiest “content,” but focus on the issues. Where the candidates stand on the pressing issues is the most important part of covering politics, yet it gets lost in the schoolyard scraps that play out in the final weeks.