Ready for the Election?

Ready or not, the Presidential election is coming up…in 2 months…in the middle of a pandemic. Yikes! Just when we thought life couldn’t get more dramatic and contentious – here it comes.

I’ve written and spoken pretty extensively about Pre and Post-Election Stress Disorder (terms I made up) in the past. And it looks like some of my thoughts and tips are re-surfacing around the internet again. I recently saw this article over at Yahoo!Life:

In the article were a couple of quotes from me, including this one:

The cool thing is, this tip works great for managing COVID-related stress as well.

Long story short: minimize time on your phone/ipad/laptop. Seriously, consider cutting your screen time by drastic amounts. Good luck out there.

Photo credit: LA Johnson and NPR

Election Stress: When Politics Make You Want to Scream

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.