Living & Leading Through Turbulence: Why Holistic Coaching Is Essential in Times of Political and Social Stress
- Dr. Sharon Washington
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
October 28th, 2025 Dr. Sharon G.E. Washington
Key takeaways
Stress in this moment is somatic + systemic—it lives in bodies and institutions.
Holistic coaching builds nervous-system regulation, clarity, and values-aligned action.
An equity lens keeps humanity at the center when programs are under attack.
Small, repeatable practices → steadier leadership, better relationships, and more sustainable hope.
We are living in a time of collective strain.
The news cycles are heavy with violence. Funding for essential social and educational programs is shrinking. Federal job cuts and a tightening job market are unsettling entire sectors. Equity and inclusion initiatives are being publicly dismantled or quietly defunded, leaving many professionals—especially those from historically marginalized communities—feeling disillusioned, anxious, and exhausted.
These pressures aren’t abstract — they touch all of us. They live in our bodies, our relationships, and our day-to-day lives. They can show up as muscle tension, sleepless nights, irritability, worry, or disconnection. For some, it’s the strain of caregiving or community work. For others, it’s the quiet exhaustion of trying to stay hopeful in a world that feels uncertain.
You don’t have to be a leader or clinician to feel the weight of this moment. The question is the same for all of us: How do we stay compassionate, grounded, and clear when everything around us feels unstable?
This is where holistic coaching—grounded in mind–body awareness, healing, and a commitment to equity—becomes not a luxury, but an essential way to find balance, clarity, and hope again.
The Nature of Stress in This Political Moment
The stressors we face today are layered.
Political polarization and disinformation create constant emotional fatigue.
Funding cuts impact the stability of institutions, programs, and people’s livelihoods.
Attacks on diversity and inclusion leave professionals fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing—and marginalized colleagues more isolated.
Global and domestic violence heightens a sense of collective trauma.
Uncertainty about the future—economic, political, environmental—undermines our ability to plan or feel safe.
These are not just “mind” challenges; they are somatic and systemic. They affect our nervous systems, our sense of belonging, and our ability to connect meaningfully to others and our work.
Real-world signals to notice (personal + team)
Sleep fragmentation, clenched jaw, shallow breathing by late afternoon
Doom-scrolling spikes after work; harder to “switch off”
Shorter fuse in meetings; avoidance of hard conversations
Team group chats moving from updates → venting → silence
Creative work stalls; “I can’t think straight” becomes common
2-minute reset (in the flow of your day)
Exhale-Longer Breath (60–90s): Inhale 4, exhale 6–8. Repeat 6–8 cycles.
Orient (30s): Name 3 stable things you can see, 2 sounds, 1 sensation under your hands or feet.
Unclench (20s): Soften jaw, drop shoulders, un furrow brow.
Why a Somatic and Holistic Coaching Approach Works
Traditional coaching or professional development often focuses on goals, productivity, or performance. Those tools can be useful, but when the stress we carry is systemic and ongoing, skill-building alone isn’t enough. The pressures of this moment—political, social, and deeply personal—live in our bodies as much as in our minds. Real healing and growth require us to reach the body, the emotions, and the spirit.
Somatic coaching starts with that understanding. It recognizes that clarity, confidence, and connection begin in the body. By noticing physical sensations—tightness, fatigue, shallow breathing—we start to see how stress and trauma live within us and how to gently release them.
When we learn to regulate the nervous system, we create space for clearer thinking and calmer choices. Mind–body awareness helps us pause before reacting, especially in moments of conflict or uncertainty. Breath and grounding practices rebuild a sense of safety and agency that can’t be taken away by politics, the economy, or the chaos of daily life.
This deeper, holistic approach allows us not just to “cope,” but to reconnect—with our purpose, our communities, and our capacity to respond to the world with steadiness and compassion.
What changes when regulation comes first
Thinking moves from catastrophic → creative.
Conversations shift from reactive → repair-capable.
Decisions align with values rather than urgency.
Boundaries become clear and kind, not rigid or porous.
Mini practice: Contact + Choice (90 seconds)
Hand on sternum, hand on low ribs.
Three spacious breaths; feel the contact.
Ask: “What’s mine to do in the next 60 minutes?” Write one small action.
Mind–Body–Spirit Strategies for a Fragmented World
A truly holistic approach weaves together the cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions of our lives. It recognizes that balance and resilience come from tending to all parts of ourselves—not just the mind that plans or the body that carries us, but the whole system that helps us meet the world with steadiness and hope.
Cognitively, holistic coaching helps reframe fear into focus—identifying where you do have influence and how to move from feeling powerless to taking meaningful, grounded action.
Emotionally, it cultivates compassion and flexibility, helping you hold difficult realities without losing yourself in them.
Physically, it offers techniques to regulate the nervous system, restore calm, and release tension that accumulates from constant stress or uncertainty.
Spiritually, it reconnects you to purpose—to the “why” that keeps you moving even when progress feels distant or slow.
When these four dimensions are aligned, we regain a sense of coherence and possibility. We remember that resilience isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about restoring connection to ourselves, our direction, and the life we want to build, even in challenging times.
Four-Dimension Weekly Rhythm (light-lift)
Mind (Mon): 10-minute focus map—3 priorities, 1 ‘won’t do’.
Body (Tue/Thu): 5-minute mobility + breath between meetings.
Emotion (Wed): Name it to tame it—“Today I feel ___ because ___.” Share with a trusted peer.
Spirit (Fri): 5-minute gratitude + purpose check: “What did I move toward that matters?”
Micro-boundary scripts
“I can’t do that today, but I can by Friday 2 PM.”
“I need a 2-minute pause so we can respond, not react.”
“Let’s capture this in writing; I want to make a clear, values-aligned choice.”
The Equity Lens: Holding Humanity at the Center
An equity and anti-oppression lens is vital in this moment, when so many programs supporting
marginalized communities are under attack. Holistic coaching helps individuals, professionals, and leaders:
Stay grounded while advocating for justice within institutions that may be retreating from it.
Recognize how systemic inequities shape their own stress and that of their teams.
Build empathy and accountability across differences—without collapsing into guilt or defensiveness.
Sustain inclusion through everyday actions, even when “DEI” has become a politicized term.
Build mental fortitude when the environment feels increasingly unsafe and unwelcoming.
By linking personal resilience with social awareness, coaching ensures that wellness doesn’t become isolation and resilience doesn’t become avoidance.
Equity in practice—small moves, big signal
Name impact, not intent: “That comment landed as dismissive; let’s try again.”
Make inclusion a habit: Rotate who speaks first; track airtime.
Protect capacity: Build buffer blocks after high-stakes conversations.
Resource reality: Share mutual-aid, affinity groups, and mental health supports without requiring disclosure.
Self-inquiry (no shame, just data)
Where do I over-explain to be palatable?
Where do I under-resource people most affected by decisions?
What would “repair” look like if harm occurred?
The Benefits of Holistic Coaching in This Time
Individuals who engage in this kind of work report:
Decreased burnout and emotional exhaustion
Clearer alignment between personal values and professional and life roles
Improved confidence in navigating conflict and systemic challenges
Greater physical well-being and emotional regulation
Renewed purpose and creativity in their leadership
Organizations benefit, too: teams function more collaboratively, leaders communicate with empathy and precision, and patients, clients, or students experience safer, more compassionate care and engagement.
Measurable outcomes you can expect (6–12 weeks)
↓ Self-reported burnout & reactivity; ↑ sleep quality and energy by midday
↑ Clarity on roles/values; decisions made faster with fewer reversals
↑ Psychological safety signals: more speaking-up, faster repair after missteps
↑ Retention/engagement on teams implementing weekly regulation rituals
Client snapshots (anonymized)
Academic leader: moved from daily dread to a 90-day values plan; delegated 20% of workload; team meetings shortened by 15 minutes with better outcomes.
Clinician manager: instituted 2-minute resets at shift change; incident de-escalations improved within a month.
Why This Work Is Foundational Now
We cannot separate our professional lives from the sociopolitical landscape that shapes them. The uncertainty of this moment demands leaders who can stay grounded under pressure, guide others through fear, and anchor their decisions in integrity.
Holistic coaching doesn’t ignore reality—it helps you face it with clarity and compassion. It’s how we transform collective fatigue into collective resilience.
When the world feels unstable, your body, your breath, and your values become the first and most reliable sources of strength. Coaching helps you return to them—again and again—so you can lead not just through crisis, but toward a more conscious and humane future.
Client snapshots (anonymized)
Academic leader: moved from daily dread to a 90-day values plan; delegated 20% of workload; team meetings shortened by 15 minutes with better outcomes.
Clinician manager: instituted 2-minute resets at shift change; incident de-escalations improved within a month.
Leader script (to steady a room)
“We can’t control the news cycle, but we can control our pace, our breathing, and how we treat each other. We’ll keep our commitments small and repeatable—and we’ll repair fast when we miss.”
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