Navigating political disagreements with loved ones: Learn new strategies for holiday gatherings
You may have felt the stress or anxiety that often accompanies heated political discussions; or maybe you have felt your worry increase after watching the news. The rollercoaster of emotions is an experience that many of us have around political events.
Americans are feeling increased political stress today. Data from the American Psychological Association found that 69 percent of Americans felt distress around the 2024 presidential election. Further, 77 percent of adults worry about the future of our nation. In 2025, the majority of Americans of all political affiliations (79 percent) believe the country is in a political crisis according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
Heightened political anxiety, worry and incivility take a toll on mental and physical well-being. This worry can make it even harder to have challenging political discussions and grow a diverse political network. Fewer than 10 percent of all adult friendships in the U.S. cross political party lines (Bahns, 2025). People with friends of a different political party are more tolerant of diverse political views, according to the research. The isolation and silo-ing of friendships along party lines only increases the political polarization we are experiencing.
We also know that when we are under stress, it can become challenging to have logical and calm conversations. Discussions often get more complicated when close friends or family with different political views bring up current events or political topics. We may not know how to handle such situations or how to respond to things we simply feel are wrong or with which we don’t agree. Even worse, sometimes we may feel that we are under attack because of our political views or identity. These situations are challenging and difficult to navigate. They also have the power to break up relationships and ruin what are supposed to be joyful holiday events.
If you have experienced these situations or simply want to prepare for the upcoming holiday season, please join us to learn practical strategies for navigating political discussions and disagreements with loved ones. We will focus on exploring tools to manage tension and preserve relationships without compromising your values. We will explore real world examples, equip you to handle challenging political discussions with loved ones, and learn when to engage and when to walk away from discussion.
In these tense political times, when many people feel isolated, let’s come together and learn how to preserve important relationships in our lives and possibly repair relationships that have been damaged. All of this takes practice and patience!
We encourage you to attend this session, bring your friends and connect with others while learning practical strategies to make the upcoming holiday season as meaningful and joyful as possible. While this is not easy work, it is exceedingly important and necessary to the functioning of our democratic system and our own well-being.
We hope to see you on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.! Click here for more information and to register!
We do not want cost to be a barrier to attendance, low and no-cost options are available. If you have any question please contact Leah at lpersky@jfcsmpls.org
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