Tag: anxiety and politics

Election Stress: When Politics Make You Want to Scream

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I don’t care who you are or where you live: no American is immune to election stress.  Even when we want to escape the coverage of the candidates, the caucuses, the primaries – it’s next to impossible to do so! And the really frustrating thing? It’s not even close to being over (or reaching its peak, for that matter).

Way back in 2012 I wrote a post about Pre-Election Stress Disorder.*  Remember 2012? We thought we had it rough then! Fast forward 4 years and here we are in the midst of the nastiest presidential race in my memory (and I’m not that young).

I was recently interviewed by the Huffington Post about how to cope with election stress this time around.  The tone is a little silly and tongue-in-cheek, but I think the issue is real.  Constant election coverage, and the often negative banter of folks on ALL sides can have an impact of mental health.  In the article, I offer a bunch of ideas about how to cope when you notice your stress level rising.  My favorite? Check it out:

Remind yourself of the good.

A little compassion goes a long way. Research shows that generosity is cyclical: Kindness makes you happier, and happiness makes you kind. Try to engage in that behavior when you’re stressed about the negativity of the news. Volunteer at a local charity, like an animal shelter or a food bank.

“There are still a lot of wonderful things happening in the world and people making positive change,” Smith said. “That’s hard to remember when candidates rip each other apart, so actively remind yourself of that.”

Read the entire article over at Huffington Post Lifestyle.

 

 

 

Pre-Election Stress Disorder: Tips for Coping

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The other day, I wrote an article about Pre-Election Stress Disorder, in which I described the symptoms and signs of the diagnosis*.   While not a real psychiatric disorder, stress, worry, and anxiety around election day are very real.   The constant ads, news, and other messages may be exciting for some, but for others it can all become too much.  If you have symptoms of PESD, don’t worry – there are things you can do to cope over the next two weeks of political bombardment – and they don’t include moving to another country!  Some tips:

Turn it off.  Remember the good old days when the news was only on TV a couple of times a day and the newspapers were read just once in the morning? While our constant access to “breaking news” – via TV, internet, Facebook, etc – can be interesting, it certainly doesn’t do much for one’s level of anxiety.  News outlets would have us believe that in order to be an informed citizen, we need to check in several times per day, however, this is rarely the case.  Even in our fast-paced world, news doesn’t typically happen at break-neck speed.  With that in mind, it can be beneficial to have a set time to get the election (and other) updates once or twice per day.  Other than that, keep the TV, websites, newspapers turned off.

Remember what’s important.  Not to say that national politics are not important, but keep in mind that they do not transcend all of the other things in your life and/or community.  Maintaining your health, relationships, professional life and hobbies are all important – don’t abandon them or forget about the real, day-to-day influence they have on your life.  Keeping in mind all the things that make your life your own, can help in remembering that the presidential election – no matter the outcome – is just one small piece of the puzzle that makes up your life.

Do what you can, leave behind what you can’t.  Here are some things we can do to affect change in our political system:

  • vote
  • work with a political campaign by knocking on doors, putting up yard signs, raising money
  • donate money
  • attend caucuses, rallies, etc
  • write to elected officials, visit their offices, etc
  • run for political office ourselves

Here are some things that do not affect change in our political system:

  • watch and read election/political coverage for hours each day
  • agonize over the fate of the election
  • threaten to move to another country if the election doesn’t go our way
  • give more weight to the election than it is due
  • fight and argue over who is right and who is wrong

Good luck managing over the next couple of weeks!

*Disclaimer: I made up Pre-Election Stress Disorder – it is not a real psychiatric diagnosis.  However, the stress, worry, and anxiety that folks feel around this time every 4 years is very real.  If worry and anxiety about this (or other) issues are negatively affecting you, please contact your health care provider.