Navigating Uncertainty: How To Manage Election Stress
Managing stress can be difficult at any time, but during the build-up to a presidential election, it can become even harder. As the 2024 U.S. election season kicks off, it can be important to take steps to protect your mental health.
From practicing self-care to watching your media consumption, the strategies in this article may help you keep your stress levels to a minimum—during this election season and beyond.
Understanding election stress
As humans, we tend to be fearful of the unknown. Whether it’s waiting on a text back from your partner or not knowing if you got that job, it can be distressing to not have a clear idea of how things will turn out.
While uncertainty-related stress may have helped keep early humans safe from predators, the anticipation of an election can have a negative impact on our well-being.
Side effects of election-related stress may include:
- Trouble sleeping
- Conflicts with family, friends, or coworkers
- Changes in eating patterns
- Mood swings
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
Beyond these effects, election stress may even negatively impact our physical health. The physical effects of stress can range from muscle aches to digestive issues, immune system changes, and more. Election-related stress may even affect the heart. In a 2021 study, researchers analyzed the health records and data of over 2,000 people with cardiac implants during the 2016 election season. They found that there was a 77% increase in abnormal heart rhythms leading up to, and after, the election.
How to manage election stress this year
Reading about the negative side effects of stress may be upsetting, especially if you’re already starting to feel some anxiety about the upcoming elections. But there are several steps you can take—now and on election day—to cope with election stress and preserve your mental health. These include:
Planning ahead
While you may not be able to control the outcome of the election, it can be helpful to instead focus on the things you do have control over. Consider making a plan for voting by checking your polling locations, arranging transportation, or requesting an absentee ballot in advance.
It may also be worth making a plan for election night itself, including whether or not you’ll watch the news, and if so, how you’ll manage any anxiety that comes up. This may help you feel more empowered during periods of anticipation.
Being mindful of media
It can be easy to get sucked into 24-hour election coverage on the news and social media. While this may help you stay informed, boundaries can also be important. You may find it useful to set a 10- to 30-minute limit on election-related media consumption. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the news, try taking a step back from screens to go for a walk, do some cleaning, or read a book.
It can also help to remind yourself that if something big happens, you’ll likely hear about it one way or another, even if you’re not glued to the TV.
Taking care of yourself
When uncertainty strikes, it can be easy to neglect your well-being, especially when you’re highly invested in how things will turn out. But coming down from stress can be a lot harder when you aren’t taking care of your body. For this reason, it may be important to take steps to stay well.
The following self-care tips may help get you started:
Stay active
Physical exercise can do more than just take your mind off politics. It can also trigger the release of endorphins, the brain’s natural feel-good chemicals, and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Look for ways to sprinkle exercise into your day, even if it’s just taking a brisk walk or doing a few jumping jacks.
Eat well
Stress can cause people to crave foods high in sugar and saturated fat, but these may end up making you feel worse. Instead, aim to eat a diet rich in protein, healthy carbs and fats, and fiber. You may also want to limit your intake of caffeine, which can sometimes worsen stress and anxiety symptoms.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness and breathwork may help you reconnect with your body when your mind is racing. Consider setting aside five minutes each day to quietly observe your thoughts, without judging them or attaching meaning to them. If this isn’t possible, even just taking a few deep breaths may help you get back in touch with the present moment.
Turn to your hobbies
Focusing on activities that bring you joy can be a constructive way to distract yourself when politics are causing you stress. Finding a creative outlet may also be useful. Journaling, drawing, painting, or collage can serve as healthy ways to express your frustrations and worries.
Getting support
Connecting with others can be a helpful way to reduce stress, both during the build-up to the elections and the elections themselves. Try to stay engaged in your regular social activities and look for ways to stay connected to your friends and loved ones. Being around other people on election night may also be a way to get emotional support, as well as a reminder that you’re not alone.
If election-related stress is causing you physical or mental health concerns, therapy may also be worth considering. Treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be helpful for building a healthier relationship with your thoughts and feelings during the lead-up to the elections.
Given the nonstop exposure to election-related news and commentary, it can be understandable to want more support than you can get in a single in-person therapy session. Online therapy may be a useful alternative. Platforms like BetterHelp let you contact your therapist at any time using in-app messaging, and they will respond as soon as they can, which may be helpful during stressful moments.
Studies have found that online therapy is an effective treatment for stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns that may arise during election season. In a 2022 review, researchers analyzed 13 previous studies of internet-based CBT, concluding that it effectively reduced symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.
Takeaway
- Previous Article
- Next Article