Suggestions for Coping with Election-Related Anxiety

With the upcoming election days away, many of us feel even more than the usual daily stress that has been increasing this year due to the pandemic, economic insecurity, and the highlighting of systemic racism.

The American Psychological Association conducted a survey that found that the coming election is even more stressful than the 2016 election. In 2016, 52 percent of individuals polled indicated that the election was a significant source of stress, while in 2020 68 percent of polled individuals said they feel this way, regardless of political affiliation.

Similarly, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) published an opinion poll showing a “surge” in anxiety among Americans primarily due to the issues of safety, the pandemic, health, gun violence, climate change, and the upcoming election. Eighty percent of those polled were worried about keeping their family safe, and 75 percent were worried about Covid-19.

The election is bringing up all of these issues, especially due to the challenging nature of voting during a pandemic and the likelihood that we will not learn the results of the election for weeks or even months. The APA president said: “It’s normal to feel [anxious] during times of stress and a lot of people will likely weather this storm without serious mental health consequences. However, given the huge jump in anxiety, coupled with the impact the pandemic is having on those who were already living with mental illness or substance use disorders, the most important thing that we can do as a country is to invest in our mental health system.”

The APA also acknowledged that systemic racism impacts mental health. More than half of people polled acknowledged that systemic racism strongly or somewhat impacts their own mental health. The pandemic - coupled with racism - has impacted both physical and mental health disproportionately in the Black community. This and many other human rights issues will all be impacted by the upcoming election, making the stakes extremely high.

To help distract from election stress, check out CNN’s 50 tips to help survive election week. CNBC also offers some ways to reduce anxiety, including: “1. avoid dwelling on worst case scenarios, 2. have a voting plan, 3. have an election day plan, and 4. control your media consumption.” I often have to remind myself and my patients to limit smart phone intake, as there is so much information coming at us through our phones between news media and social media that is difficult to control reading. It is also helpful to turn off automatic notifications.

In addition, making sure to focus on self-care as I have discussed in other posts, such as eating well and meditation is extremely important during this time of uncertainty.

If you find that you are having a particularly difficult time managing stress and anxiety, it is important to reach out for help.