Election 2024: How election stress affects you and what you can do about it

With the clock ticking down the final hours of the 2024 presidential election, and with millions of votes already cast, nearly everyone has something on the line with the results of this election.

Tension is high, and so are emotions.

According to the American Psychological Association, “77% of U.S. adults said the future of our nation was a significant source of stress in their lives.”

“Democrats and Republicans tell us that they feel that democracy is under threat. So all of that, at the very least, puts high stakes into this election,” Anthony Salvanto, CBS News Elections and Surveys Director, said.

“In general, we know that chronic stress harms psychological well-being and physical well-being. It takes a toll on our bodies,” Brett Ford, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto said. “There’s a strong case to be made that for many people, politics is a form of chronic stress.”

The stress can lead to loss of sleep, short tempers, and obsessive thoughts. It can make physical health worse, the APA said.

“There is a considerable and growing amount of evidence that politics is having a negative effect on a broad range of health outcomes,” Kevin Smith, PhD, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told the APA. “This is coming from different scholars using different data, approaches, and measures, and it all triangulates on the same inference: Politics isn’t very good for us.”

However, the stress that comes from politics is different than normal stress.

“There’s something distinctive about the way politics is stressing us out,” Jayme Renfro, PhD, an associate professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa, said. “Political anxiety is a thing that is separate from, or at least a distinct part of, stress and anxiety in general.”

Ford said political stress can be emotional running the gamut from worry and sadness to disgust and anger and more which can have short-term and long-term fallout within our social groups, the APA said.

So, what can you do to lower the stress and anxiety that comes with Nov. 5?

Prevention magazine offers these tips:

• Control the things that you can. A few suggestions: Go for a run, clean out a closet, or plan a fun event with family.
• Limit social media use if it all seems to be too much and is hurting your mental health.
• Connect with friends but avoid political discussions, if you can.
• Get moving, get fresh air. Play with your pets, rake leaves or play outside with your kids.
• Try managing stress with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques such as meditating or breathing exercises.
• Put the election in perspective. Prevention said, “Life will go on” after the votes are counted.

If those suggestions don’t work for you, Fox News suggests looking to faith.

Rabbi Daniel Rowe of the worldwide Jewish organization Aish, offers this prayer:

“God of all the world, I find myself confronted by fears of what the future will bring and feelings of resentment, distrust and dislike of those whose views I oppose. Please help me to realize that I need to stop playing Your role and please help me to play my part in service of You, of my fellow citizens of this great nation, and of all of mankind.

“Please remind me that elections are only short-lived. Please help me realize that while our opponents have their faults and flaws, so do we all. Please help me see that they, like us, want the good of the country and that our destiny is tied together, united indivisible under You.

“Please help me realize that no matter the outcome, I must strive to be a force for bringing unity and good to the world, and to realize that I am a character in Your great book of history. Please help me know my role, play my role, and please keep us all safe and united — bringing out the best in one another and building our future together.”

Pastor Jesse Bradley from Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington, wrote his prayer which reads:

“Father God, thank you for your presence. You are the God of comfort and the source of our joy. Our lives are filled with purpose, and your passion is a fire in our souls.

“Jesus, we choose to abide with you today. You have overcome the world. We trust you. We ask for compassion, wisdom and courage as we serve our neighbors and glorify You. Forgive us Lord of our sins, we pray, and come heal our land. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

One woman in the battleground state of Pennsylvania decided to bring light to the election season and put up her Christmas tree to distract from the election, Reuters reported.

“Just trying to pacify the anxiety,” Danielle Trenney, from Bellevue, Pennsylvania, gave Reuters the reason for the early tree decorating. “Anything and everything to distract from, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen?’”

Finally, if the stress and anxiety are just too much, you should talk to a professional. The Crisis Text Line has people ready to listen. All you have to do is text ELECTION to 741741. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line on WhatsApp. The organization has these tips to help deal with the stress of election day.

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