13 Strategies to Manage Stress and Anxiety During an Election Year
By Carl Patterson
We are in an age of information, an era defined by mass media with influences that are undeniable and far-reaching. Our connectivity is unprecedented and the access to content is never-ending. Each day we navigate through a landscape of media that demands our attention twenty four hours per day in a non-stop carousel of reporting. There are many benefits to having up-to-date news and real-time analysis, however this relentless cycle presents challenges. The race against time to fill every hour with fresh content to engage their audience puts a lot of pressure on news outlets. The stories start to become inflated or embellished leading to sensationalism and misinformation which can distort public perception. This can create uncertainty during an election year and when political issues intersect with our identities, beliefs, and values, the stakes become higher and the uncertainty fuels our stress and anxiety to heightened levels. We would like to know what’s going to happen and predict the outcome. When we start to become uncertain, we start to imagine worst-case scenarios. Instead, we should ask ourselves: How can I manage to cope with a scenario that may cause stress and anxiety? What can I control?
We are all familiar with stress which is a normal reaction to our everyday pressures, but when overwhelmed by stress, it upsets our day-to-day functioning. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines stress as the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stress that involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body influencing how people feel and behave (2021). Some symptoms of stress include palpitations, sweating, dry mouth, shortness of breath, and augmentation of negative emotions. Added symptoms related to election stress include prolonged feelings of moderate to intense anxiety, emotional avoidance, mood swings or irritability, increased feelings of hostility or aggression, obsessive or compulsive consumption of political news, and detachment from typical human interactions either in favor of hyper-engagement in online political debate or avoidance of political discourse (Texas Health Resources, 2024).
When it’s election season, we can’t seem to get away from a barrage of political news, debates, and advertisements. We are inundated and can be overwhelmed by political conversations with assertive views and opinions whether at the grocery store, gym, work, or simply scrolling social media. During the political season we start to witness polarization, vitriol, and an us versus them mentality consume the public.
Whether you’re someone who wants to stay engaged and are motivated to support making the world a better place and/or someone attempting to protect themselves from burnout, cynicism, bitterness and hostility, here are practices you can do to navigate through election season stress:
Practice Mindfulness
Meditation is often seen as internal practice, but it also offers a relief from day-to- day challenges by building resilience, cultivating compassion, and dealing with negativity. Mindfulness techniques offer a way to pay attention on purpose and accept all of your feelings no matter how big they can become.
Setting Boundaries
Establishing boundaries is a way to provide clarity to what you need and how you would like to be treated. Setting boundaries during the election season can prevent conflict from happening. You can establish boundaries by stating, “I enjoy our conversations but I’m refraining from talking about politics” or “I prefer to speak on topics outside of politics.” If you have someone who is insistent on broaching the topic of politics you could follow up with, “I’m staying away from discussing topics related to politics. Please be respectful of my boundaries.” Sometimes you will need to reiterate your boundary or in extreme circumstances state, “Unless we switch the topic, I’ll have to remove myself from this conversation.”
When willing to engage or collaborate in political conversations you can establish boundaries related to appropriate tone of voice, no insults, personal attacks, or disrespectful or rude comments. Your opinion should be respected even if the other party disagrees. Healthy dialogue doesn’t demand agreement, but it does deserve respect. If your boundary is violated you can take a break or end the conversation altogether. Remember to be curious and allow for curiosity but be self-aware. You can’t control other people, but you can set limits that support your well-being.
Seek out good news
Politics will dominate the mass media the closer we get to the election, however even if it seems like it’s the only news happening, it is not the only news being covered. Don’t be afraid to search or seek out news specific to your liking to avoid over consumption of stressful content. You can turn to sports, entertainment, health and wellness, business, fashion, art, and other types of news as a healthy distraction.
Connect with others
Go outside! Touch grass! One great way to avoid the stress of the election season is to be intentional about connecting with your friends and family. Increase your social interactions and enjoy the company of others. This doesn’t mean you can’t talk about politics if you choose to do so, but this offers an opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings with like minded individuals or simply be around people you care about and not discuss politics at all! Eat good food, catch up on life, and have a few laughs. Do your best to not isolate.
Focus on what you can control
A phrase I like to tell my clients is, “know when to stay in your pocket.” This means knowing when to focus on the things you can control and lean more into those areas to avoid being overwhelmed by so many aspects of the world around you that you can’t control. If you’re struggling to figure out what you can control, one helpful tip to use is to sit down and create a list called the Circle of Control. This could be a lengthy list but don’t worry! A long list is a sign that you have a lot of things that you care about, but we do not want to dwell on the things we can’t control. So once you complete the list, review what you wrote down and circle/highlight the things listed that you can have a direct impact on. Focus on a couple or a few of those listed items only.
Do things that are meaningful to you
Even though it may not seem like it during the political season, there are more things we care about than politics. Politics are important because they affect laws, rules, and policy. However, if our diet during election season is heavy on politics without any side or alternative options that we find meaningful, we will find ourselves experiencing elevated levels of stress and anxiety.
Focus on your health and wellness
If you aren’t already focused on your health and wellness this is a great time to lean into healthy habits such as clean eating and consistent exercise. A great diet and exercise plan can improve your energy levels, mood, and decrease stress.
Lean into alternative information consumption
I just signed up for Masterclass and even though it is a bit on the pricey side, I’m learning about art, business, wellness, and writing to name a few topics. You also have other outlets to consume information such as Ted Talks, podcasts, books, and even training. This may not offer new learning opportunities but if none of that interests you, curate an upbeat or nostalgic playlist that separates you from stressful content even if it’s for a short while. The main objective is to balance what we are consuming.
Consume trustworthy content
If you’re someone who enjoys consuming as much political news as you can during the election season, spend time identifying news that you can trust. Although challenging to do so, you want to do your best to find credible, reliable, and unbiased sources that will help make your decision on election day a confident one. Too much misinformation and biased opinions can leave you confused, dysregulated, and maybe even bitter.
Get Involved
Identify the issues that are meaningful to you and get involved! Consider advocacy and community involvement in ways that fit you. This is a great way to be connected, gain an understanding of what you can control, be present, and to feel a part of the process. Sometimes not sitting on the sidelines and being more of an active participant can relieve stress.
Practice empathy and compassion towards each other
Acknowledge and validate the fears, anxieties, and anger that you and the other person may have when discussing politics but we all have to be mindful that election season is challenging for many or most of us. Expressing empathy and compassion towards others who are either within your household or outside of it is a kind gesture.
Unplug
Don’t be afraid to simply unplug from it all! Give yourself permission to take short or extended breaks from consuming political news. It is a healthy action to take when needed. In fact, you can also give yourself permission to take a break from “doom scrolling” and decrease the time you spend on social media in general.
Positive Psychology
Dealing with stress and anxiety can be difficult. Seek out professional therapists who are able to help you develop healthy coping skills and emotional regulation techniques. You don’t have to deal with the challenges of election season on your own. Post-election season can be equally stressful, so getting a headstart on learning new skills and techniques can be beneficial!
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. https://dictionary.apa.org/stress?_gl=1%2A18kmyol%2A_gcl_au%2AMjYwNTQxMDIxLjE3MjE0ODkzNzI.%2A_ga%2AMTA5NzkwNTkxMS4xNzEzMDQ1Njkx%2A_ga_SZXLGDJGNB%2AMTcyMTQ4OTM3Mi4xLjEuMTcyMTQ4OTQyOC40LjAuMA..
Navigating the election year with mental well-being. Texas Health Resources. (2024, February 22). https://www.texashealth.org/areyouawellbeing/Behavioral-Health/Navigating-the-Election-Year-with-Mental-Well-being
Carl Patterson was born in Jersey City, NJ and resides in Oklahoma City, OK. He has acquired a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Southern Nazarene University. Carl is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) whom primary focus is on trauma processing utilizing the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. He enjoys reading, writing, and performing spoken word poetry. He presented at the 2017 & 2023 University of Central Oklahoma TEDx events and is the author of the poetry book titled, The Mis-Execution of a Black Son. His podcast Poetry in Layers will debut in 2024!
Check out Carl’s NEW BOOK – The Mis-Execution of a Black Son.” Now available on Amazon.com.
