Managing Election Season Stress

As election day draws nearer, it’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed by politics, especially when the election climate is contentious. You may be inundated with texts and mail from political candidates. You may see more TV and online ads from candidates imploring voters for support while critically outlining how a political opponent falls short. In the course of looking for information to help you to decide who to vote for, you may find yourself awash with large amounts of information to digest and put into context.

Although presidential elections occur every four years and midterm elections every two years, the lead up to these two events may cause feelings of anxiety and stress for some people. Any negative effects about the state of the country and public wrangling by political opponents can lead to preoccupation and concern. People may also experience angst about how an election outcome could affect their daily lives in profound ways. 

Professional counselors define election stress as anxiety that’s triggered by election news and is different from other kinds of stress because it is specific to the timeframe around an election cycle. These stressful feelings can spill into someone’s personal and professional life, and can cause conflict with family, friends and colleagues. 

What This Stress Can Look Like

People with election stress can seem more irritable when conversations turn to politics or even personal situations, like healthcare, that have become thorny issues due to government policies. Some people may have trouble sleeping because of worrying and stress. In more severe cases, this increased anxiety can lead to panic attacks or even strained relationships that have long-term effects and disrupt holiday gatherings and other social get-togethers. 

Managing Boundaries During Election Time

Some counselors advise that setting boundaries can help you devise a plan to limit your involvement with the things or people that cause you heightened stress. The goal is not necessarily to stop people from discussing their political opinions with you, but how you respond to those opinions if it makes you uncomfortable. You may also want to consider self-care strategies and plan for what you will do as you await the election and learn the results. Here are some questions to consider:

1. How will I discuss this political topic?
2. How will I not discuss it?
3. What is my time investment in this conversation going to be?
4. What is my time investment with this person going to be when it comes to political topics?
5. How much time am I going to invest in watching or reading about political topics?
6. How will I spend the days leading up to the election? 
7. What will I do when I hear the results?