4 Buffers Against the Toxic Effects of Racism on Mental Health

Last week, in the first of our 3-part series on racism and mental health, we took an unflinching look at how racism negatively affects Black and African American mental health. It’s not pretty. Racism not only adds day-to-day stress but it also affects the way a person sees themselves and the world over the long term. Its damaging effects on the brain can even be passed on through generations. And on top of it all, those who suffer racism also have less access to quality mental healthcare.

What can we do about such a bleak situation? The tough news is that there is much difficult work to be done, and no amount of well-meaning movies, TV shows, articles, or podcasts will be enough. The encouraging news is that we're increasingly doing more research and giving much-needed attention to ways to protect the mental health of minorities affected by racism.

We cannot place the full burden of coping with racism on the people who are oppressed by it.

One shortcoming of this research is that it focuses mostly on coping with interpersonal racism—in other words, what each person who experiences racism can do for themselves.

Before we go on, I want to acknowledge that this is not enough. We cannot place the full burden of coping with racism on the people who are oppressed by it. Everybody has to be involved, and we need to make much bigger changes at every level of society. This is why we will dedicate the next full episode to steps that white and other privileged people can take to help, starting with acknowledging and dismantling our own defensiveness.

But today, I do want to provide listeners with practical advice for protecting their own mental health from the damaging effects of racism.

1. Start with self-compassion and acknowledgment of emotions

When you experience racism, you’re fighting battles all the time. Whether they're outright legal struggles to maintain your rights or more subtle battles like engaging in John Henryism (working ever harder to get the respect you deserve) … the fight is exhausting. The last thing your mind needs to battle is itself.

Protect time each day to do nothing but be with yourself in the here and now.

Give yourself time and space to be mindful of your emotions. This means protecting time each day to do nothing but be with yourself in the here and now—no distractions, no multitasking, no social media, and for Black women especially, no tamping down...

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