I was driving to work the other day, listening to the news on the radio, when I caught a segment about the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The segment included clips of politicians talking about their willingness to accept the election results (or not), and the reporter gave some scenarios of what could happen in the aftermath of election day.
It felt very familiar - and not in a good way! Naturally, I found my stress system activated through the roof, with accompanying thoughts of doom and peril.
I’m pretty sure you are aware, especially if you’re an American, of how divisive, contentious, and… well, to put it mildly… stressful the political situation has become in the U.S. in recent years.
Many of us care deeply about the welfare of the country and the world. We pay attention to the news, and feel a deep sense of uncertainty about what’s ahead. And of course it’s not just the election that’s stressful these days - there are so many major problems around the world. Reading the news feels like walking through an emotional minefield.
It’s important to find ways to care for ourselves through stressful periods like this. To do what we can to improve the state of the world, without burning ourselves out from the stress.
As such, I would like to offer you a few strategies for taking care of your mental health during the months ahead. These are the ideas I offer my clients, and practice myself, when times are tough.
Tips for Managing Election Stress:
Use your emotions to help clarify your values. When you read, watch, or hear the news, do you feel angry? Afraid of where things are headed? Sad about the state of the world? Whatever you feel, your emotions can provide you with a values check. Your pain means you care. Try to learn something from the wisdom of your emotions. What do your emotional reactions tell you about what you really care about, deep down inside?
Take values-directed action. It’s very easy to be a passive consumer of news, and stay disengaged in terms of involvement. Sometimes it all feels a bit hopeless, and you might wonder if your actions can make any difference at all. But there are things regular people can do - volunteering for a campaign, donating money, joining an activism group for a cause you care about, calling representatives with opinions, getting involved in local politics, etc. - that can make a difference. Sometimes making a contribution, even a small one, feels a lot better than doing nothing.
Focus on sustainable action. In my new book, ACT for Burnout, I wrote a section about activist burnout. Some people get so overly invested in a social or political cause, they end up crashing and burning, and unable to continue on. It helps to think of your political actions as a marathon, not a sprint. Do what you can/want to, but be sure to pace yourself accordingly. You can’t solve all of the world’s problems by yourself, and you take on a heavy emotional load if you try to. Focusing on doing your fair share, the amount that feels aligned with your values, will help you keep going for the long-term.
Pace your news consumption. I believe it’s important to pay attention to what’s happening in the world. It’s not a good idea for citizens to bury their heads in the sand about what’s happening in the world! But too much media consumption doesn’t change anything in a substantial way, and it can add to fear, anger, and stress. “Doomscrolling” for hours, or keeping cable news on all day can negatively impact your mood and state of mind. Set aside an amount of time that works for you for checking the news each day, and when you’re done, stop and do something else. Be especially careful not to “doom scroll” right before bed, as it can impact your sleep.
Have a healthy skepticism about your news sources. There’s a lot of outrage these days, and extreme views tend to generate a lot of press coverage. There’s also a lot of bias and misinformation out there. And of course social media algorithms are set up to fuel outrage. We click more on headlines that grab our attention. Use your critical thinking skills and beware of biased news sources that just add fuel to the fire. Pause before you click on online sources that are just going to send you down a spiral of outrage and potential misinformation.
Take care of yourself. It sounds so obvious and cliche, but it’s true. It doesn’t help to neglect yourself when times are tough. Prioritize the things that help to sustain you. Spend time outdoors. Go for a walk. Take breaks and get some sleep. Focus on other areas of your life. Eat food that feels good to you. And if you don’t do any of these things when you’re stressed, that’s okay too. Let go of that pressure, and just try to be kind to yourself.
Get support. I recommend this for everything mental-health related! It can help to talk to supportive people, and to face the problems of the world in community. If you’re feeling stressed about current events, reach out.
VOTE! Finally, the most important thing you can do is use your rights as a citizen to vote. I know sometimes it seems like your vote doesn’t matter, or that none of the options are ideal. But it does matter. If your right to vote was taken away from you, the consequences would be devastating. So please use it!
Additional Resources:
An episode of my podcast on “Uniting Toward a Better Future” with Diana McLain Smith: https://offtheclockpsych.com/uniting-toward-a-better-future-with-diana-mclain-smith/
An episode of my podcast on “Hope and Values in Hard Times” https://offtheclockpsych.com/hope-and-values/
An episode on Committed Action: https://offtheclockpsych.com/take-committed-action/
A (perhaps slightly dated) episode on political divisiveness from 2018: https://offtheclockpsych.com/political-divide/