Tips for Navigating Political Conversations in the Workplace

If you have co-workers whose views differ from yours, tension may build due in part to the polarized nature of today’s political landscape. You might feel compelled to suppress your own beliefs to keep the peace. On the other hand, you might be tempted to confront others in emotionally charged situations to stand up for what you think is right. 

Here are six tips for dealing with these tricky situations.

1. Set boundaries ahead of time.

In a perfect world, you can stop conflict before it starts. Ideally, it’s helpful to set boundaries ahead of time and have everyone agree not to talk politics during work/gatherings. This could include sending out a group text or speaking individually to the people who tend to instigate and stir the pot. They may not always be receptive, but it’s worth trying.

2. Know where to draw the line.

If the plan to set boundaries ahead of time doesn’t work and political debates break out, it’s important to practice your boundary-setting skills. Even with people who are incredible communicators, conversations can sometimes become hostile or heated when one or more people have extreme beliefs. In these situations, we have no control over how the other person will act or speak to us. To maintain our own emotional—and sometimes physical—safety, we must set boundaries. This involves informing others how you will respond to certain actions and where you draw the line. For example, you may tell others that you intend to leave the event if political topics arise.

3. Know that changing minds is not your responsibility.

As much as you’d probably like to sway others to your side, or even just get them to see things from your point of view, this is not your responsibility. In heated debates, people are typically not coming from a place of wanting to be open-minded or understanding. More likely, they’re just trying to get their opinion out—and, chances are, your voice is probably not going to overpower their deep-seated beliefs and all the media they ingest. You are not in charge of teaching them or convincing them to rethink an issue. Protect your peace. Ask yourself: Is it worth my energy?

4. Remember that it’s OK to leave.

Once again: Set and maintain boundaries. If you are feeling triggered, upset, or angry, pulling yourself out of the situation is OK. Needing to leave an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situation is not a moral failing or indicative that you are a bad co-worker. Leaving a situation when needed is completely valid and reasonable.

5. Step away and self-regulate.

If you’ve decided that your best move is to remove yourself from the situation, use this time to self-regulate and calm down in healthy ways. Go for a walk, have a drink of water, listen to calming music, do some deep breathing, or call up a safe person.

6. Seek therapy for extra support.

For mental health support during the election year, therapy is a great option. It can provide you with the tools you need to navigate emotionally fraught situations such as this. 

Jocelyn Moyet is a licensed mental health counselor at Grow Therapy.