Election Stress and Mental Health
As I write, it’s the day before the 2020 US presidential election. The months leading up to this election have been some of the most collectively stressful and exhausting in living memory. Set against a global pandemic, racial and social justice movements, a healthcare crisis and an economic crisis, this election feels more intense and more important than any to come before. To say we have lost a lot this year is an understatement. The impact on our mental health is tremendous. If you’ve stumbled across this article because the election is stressing you out, read on. I’ve described some of the common effects on mental health from this period of election stress and how therapy can help. I’ll also leave you with a few suggestions on how to cope over the coming days and weeks.
How the presidential election is impacting mental health:
It feels inescapable. The election is on my mind, my clients’ minds and just about everyone I know. This is to say, you are in good company if you’re feeling it too. Election stress is compounding our everyday stress, leading to an increase in anxiety, difficulty sleeping and feelings of hopelessness. Our personal and collective future feels so uncertain right now. It makes sense that so many people are experiencing this. Especially those who are members of oppressed groups.
The election is an enormous added factor contributing to what therapists call “chronic stress”. Chronic stress is the clinical term for stress that sticks around for weeks, months and even years. When we are in a state of chronic stress, it influences every part of our lives. The chronic stress I’m seeing can lead clients into survival mode to protect themselves, but can unintentionally lead to relationship stress, absent self-care, irritability and disconnection from what is fun or enjoyable about life. Another way to think about it is to imagine that the election is a big boulder you are carrying around. As you try to get through your day, this boulder is making everything that much harder. And this is in addition to the “boulders” you may be carrying relating to health stress, job stress, relationship stress and so on.
How therapy can help with election stress:
Modern therapists will acknowledge and invite discussion of social and political events during their sessions. Even if you feel like the reason you are in therapy is for different issues, there is no wrong topic to bring up in therapy. I mention this because sometimes there is a tendency for people to compartmentalize their stress and focus on the specific concerns that brought them to therapy in session. My feeling is that these stressors are a part of our lives, even though it feels scary to acknowledge this. These political events have real life consequences, and it’s important to provide space in therapy to share fears about how politics and policies impact us. The fact that preserving and establishing basic human rights and wellbeing are debated or seen as optional is traumatizing. Therapy can help you to feel normal and validated in this experience. Often, people hold themselves to expectations that they can continue “business as usual”. Therapy can help you to kindly explore how realistic that really is. Working with a therapist can help to give yourself permission to be upset, stressed and impacted by what is going on. From that honest place you can start to identify practical ways to receive support and cope better. Through therapy or on your own, allowing ourselves to feel and process the political stress is the best thing we can do to help ourselves through this.
On balancing political engagement and mental health:
It’s important to stay engaged, if you disconnect completely you’ll likely just worry anyway. Checking the news frequently or endlessly scrolling is tempting, especially with the election so close. The goal is not to be perfect with this but to strike a balance over time that values engagement and mental health.
One way to find this balance is to limit your news consumption to give yourself and your nervous system a break. Remember, when you are consuming stressful and upsetting news your body is pumping out cortisol, (the stress hormone). Do your best to be mindful of how much time you are spending on news and social media. Some people give themselves a set time to check the news. I encourage you to remember that you are likely reading the same thing again and again, so give yourself permission to not consume every detail. I also recommend not reading the news right before bed. In order to sleep we need our stress level to go down at night. Any nurturing activities and practices you can do in place of consuming news in the evening should help.
At a time like this, it is essential to prioritize connecting with people who you know are supportive and validating. Connection that is honest and nurturing is so important right now. Conversely, it’s okay if you are a little distant from that family member who can’t help themselves talking about their opposing views and leaves you feeling more drained each time you talk.
If you have pent up anxious energy, consider funneling it into some form of political activism or community work. Election stress and anxiety can leave us feeling powerless. Take back some power in any way you can, it can be as simple as checking in with friends about their voting plan.
My final thought is that while advice can be useful ultimately listen to yourself. If you need to distract yourself with some comfort TV, do that. You make the rules with how you spend your time and you know what you need better than anyone. Be kind to yourself.
