How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety this Election Season

According to an October study released by the American Psychological Association (APA), 69% of Americans feel the election is a significant source of stress in their lives. That is up 1% from 2020 and 17% from 2016.

“I think that the unknown of anything is going to produce anxiety and stress when we're waiting for a result. We're invested in the answer and wondering what's going to happen,” said Darci Harvey, the Director of Integrated Behavioral Health for AdventHealth in Colorado.

Darci believes a few factors that have led to an increased amount of stress this election season have been the emergence and dependence on social media coupled with divisive campaigns that are being run based off fear.

“This election in particular is interesting because now we have social media and I imagine 30 years ago we didn't know what our neighbors were thinking or which way they were voting,” said Darci. “Now there can be more stress for disagreeing or not having the same opinions as people we wouldn't otherwise know what their opinions were. Plus, a lot of fear is based on what life is going to look like depending on which candidate wins because of the campaign messages.”

According to the same study released by the APA, 32 percent of adults in the United States believe that the political climate has caused strain between them and their family members, something Darci has seen at work.

“Our referrals tend to go up around this time of year as more unknowns come up, more stress about what's going to happen. A lot of the fears people feel is concerning what life is going to look like whether the election goes their way or not,” said Darci.

For those dealing with election anxiety and stress Darci does have a few suggestions for how to overcome those feelings.

• Look at what you have control over versus what you do not have control over.

“A simple thing to do is make sure you are voting. If you have an opinion, get it out there in a way that's going to be recognized.”

• Limiting your time on social media and who you are surrounding yourself with.

“Limiting social media and surrounding yourself with people who are going to bring you joy and not increase that stress. It is okay to say no. Really set those boundaries and recognize what or who increases your stress.”

• Be mindful of your personal health.

“Make sure you are getting enough exercise, eating right and getting the appropriate amount of sleep. Get away and go on that run or go on a hike and enjoy that and try to separate yourself.”

It is also important to remember that the expectation should not be for this stress to suddenly melt away once election day passes. Often when we don’t know the answer or are waiting for the answer, our anxiety can be at its highest.

“I think it's helpful to note too that sometimes when things don't go our way, we may experience symptoms of depression. We may feel like no one understands what we're feeling or maybe you're surrounded by people who have different opinions. You can experience real symptoms of depression and that's okay and it's a good time to seek help,” said Darci.

If you would like to talk to an Integrated Behavioral Health specialist with AdventHealth, you can click here to learn more about our team.