Is the election uncertainty getting to you? Is anxiety the dominant feature of your emotional landscape, perhaps with a little sprinkling of impending doom?
You are not alone. A recent study found 69% of American adults are severely stressed for the 2024 presidential election.
It’s hard not to engage in politics in today’s polarized climate. No matter which side of the political aisle you sit on, you may find yourself glued to your browser or your TV, devouring every tiny tidbit of news and feeling your anxiety levels skyrocket.
I’m a psychologist which develops and tests strategies to combat stress. As I tell my stressed clients all the time, when it comes to election news, there’s a fine line between being well informed and information overload.
If you’re ready to short-circuit your stress spiral, here are three science-backed strategies to deal with stress in times of uncertainty.
Approach your emotions with awareness
Being careful it refers to the quality of awareness you bring to your experiences – specifically, non-judgmental attention focused on what is happening in the moment.
Mindfulness practices come from Eastern spiritual traditions, including Buddhism. In recent decades, mindfulness has gained popularity as a powerful tool for stress management. For example, meditation apps like Headspace and Calm incorporate it. Even if meditation isn’t your thing, however, you can apply non-judgmental, present-focused mindfulness to election-related stress.
Be present. Stress can lead you into one uncomfortable spiral of “what-ifs” for the future. When you say be present, you’re reminding yourself of what’s actually happening right now, rather than letting hypothetical fears take over.
Although you may have serious concerns about the fate of the nation, these results are yet to be seen. As I tell my patients, “We will cross the bridge if we come to it. For now, focus on the step right in front of you.”
If you find yourself drifting into thoughts about the future, you can pull yourself back to the present by bringing awareness to simple sensations – the feel of your feet on the floor, the rhythm of your breathing or the sounds around you – and remind yourself that you are safe at this time.
Pay attention without judgment. Many people have a hard time with themselves feeling strong emotions. This judgmental mindset can feel like you’re telling yourself that you’re overreacting or that it’s weak to let others see that you’re upset. You might even take that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach as evidence that negative outcomes are just around the corner.
Making judgments about your feelings only serves to make you feel worse. In fact, researchers find that pushing emotions away or beating yourself up for having them leads to more frequent and stronger stress.
Instead, try to take a break. You say to yourself, “This election is high stakes, so it makes sense to be worried.” Then notice if your anxiety is due to fear of the future and bring yourself back to the present.
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Be flexible with your thinking
Cognitive flexibility it is the ability to move away from rigid, all-or-nothing thinking about the future.
When people are anxious, they tend to focus on the worst case scenario. For example, you might say to yourself, “With this candidate in office, things are going to be terrible and I won’t be able to cope.”
In this scenario, I encourage my patients to move past that initial thought of how awful it will be and instead think about how exactly they will respond to the opening, the next day, week, month, etc.
Cognitive flexibility allows you to explore how to cope, even in the face of a negative outcome, helping you feel a little less out of control. If you’re feeling a lot of anxiety about the election, try to think about what you would do if the unpopular candidate takes office—thoughts like “I’ll donate to causes that are important to me” and “I’ll attend protests.”
Choose your actions with intention
Another tool for managing your stress is to consider whether your behaviors are affecting how you feel.
Remember, for example, the goal of the 24-hour news networks is to increase ratings. It’s in their best interest to keep you glued to your screens by making it seem like important announcements are imminent. As a result, you may find it difficult to disconnect and engage in your usual self-care behavior.
Try telling yourself, “If something happens, someone will text me,” and go for a walk or, better yet, sleep. Following healthy habits can help reduce your vulnerability to uncontrollable stress.
AP Photo/John Hanna
After the election, you may still feel drawn to the news and motivated to get out — whether that means donating, volunteering, or protesting — for a variety of causes that you believe will be affected by the election results. Many people describe feeling guilty if they say no or disengage, leading them to overcommit and end up crashing.
If this feels like this, try to remind yourself that taking a break from politics to cook, engage with family or friends, do some work, or go to the gym doesn’t mean you don’t care. In fact, keeping track of the activities that fuel you will give you the energy to contribute to important causes more meaningfully.
