ODRO
Between the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the uncertainty continuing to swirl around President Joe Biden’s reelection bid, it’s been quite a week in politics.
The presidential election has been stressing out Americans for months — 40% of adults reported feeling depressed or anxious about the polls in a May survey.
Psychologist Krystal Lewis of the National Institute of Mental Health told NPR this week that our emotional response to politics covers a wide spectrum, “There’s a range of emotions that people experience during this time leading up to elections that can go from fear to anger to feeling stressed out to feeling extremely sad and fearful of the future.”
Lewis maintains that these heightened emotions are not only normal but valid. Though if the feelings are too intense or long-lasting, it may be time to seek help.
She cautions that those with preexisting anxiety or depression are more vulnerable to experiencing them during times of upheaval.
Lynn Bufka, deputy chief of professional practice at the American Psychological Association, tells NPR that stress is “probably telling us to pay attention to some extent to what’s happening in the world so that we can be prepared to act in ways that are consistent with our beliefs and our values.”
Lewis and Bufka are sharing several strategies for those seeking calm amid chaos and inner peace in a time of worldly woes.
Understand your uncertainty
Uncertainty is often the mother of anxiety. As Bufka explains to NPR, “We’d like to know what’s going to happen. We’d like to predict. So when uncertainty strikes, many people start to imagine worst-case scenarios.”
Unsurprisingly, a doom-based mentality is not beneficial to our mental health.
Bufka suggests stopping the cycle with self-inquiry by asking ourselves, “How likely is that worst-case scenario? Can I manage to cope with that? What are the kinds of things that I might again have some control over to try to manage a situation that would look like that?”
Answering these questions and shifting our focus to what we can control is crucial to stress management.
Control what you consume
Lewis suggests a routine digital detox from the political news cycle.
Depending on how you absorb information, this may involve turning off the television or signing out of social media accounts.
Do what is meaningful
Engaging in meaningful activities dramatically improves our overall well-being, particularly when stress strikes.
Bufka suggests connecting with others, working toward a cause or contributing to the greater good, even in what may seem like a small way.
For example, she proposes “making sure that your older parents have a good meal tonight because they don’t feel up to cooking themselves or picking up the trash in your neighborhood just to make it a better place.”
Find healthy ways to cope
Rather than worrying about worst-case scenarios, experts recommend doing things that spark joy and keep you present.
Bufka notes the importance of engaging the body when the mind is disquieted.
“We have extra energy in our bodies when we’re stressed and overwhelmed, and being active allows us to release that stress,” she explained to NPR. “Whether it’s going on a walk, whether it’s pulling weeds in the garden, whether it’s playing soccer with your friends, playing tag with the kids — any of those things can help us release some of that physical energy and feel a little more present.”
Stay social
Social isolation can compromise our mental and physical well-being, so much so that the World Health Organization declared loneliness a “pressing health threat.”
This threat is amplified when we’re feeling anxious or depressed, so it’s important to stay connected with friends and family.
As the divide between political parties grows ever wider and the discourse more vitriolic, Bufka insists we shouldn’t isolate ourselves from those who hold different views.
“Connecting with people who might actually have different points of view than us [and] seeing our shared humanity can help us to lower the temperature about what our feared outcomes are,” she told NPR.
