Every presidential election is stressful. However, this one is particularly worrisome because of the major discourse between the two candidates. The American Psychological Association (APA) just released a report that says more than half (52 percent) of all Americans say that the presidential election is a very or somewhat significant source of stress in their lives[1]. Keep reading to find out several tips to help you ease the stress generated by 2016’s presidential election. 

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Now that we have solved the stresses of personal protection, here are the strategies we can use to tame general election anxiety as listed by Everyday Health1.

1. Know That Election Stress Is Normal

In a May article for The Atlantic about mental health and the 2016 election, Robinson Meyer interviewed Stephen Holland, PsyD, who directs the Capital Institute for Cognitive Therapy in Washington, DC, where 12 clinicians see more than 300 patients a week. Holland told The Atlantic that two-thirds to three-quarters of the patients have mentioned their feelings about the election in their psychotherapy sessions (and this was five months ago!). In the same article, Robert Leahy, PhD, director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, said that therapist appointments typically rise every election season. There’s something very consoling in knowing that what you’re experiencing is perfectly normal given the circumstances. 

2. Limit Your Exposure to Election Talk and Media Coverage

If political talk is generating a lot of anxiety for you, there are things you can do to avoid it:

• Change your home page or default website to a nonpolitical site.
• Log off of Twitter and Facebook until after the election (or check social media for 10 minutes at the end of the day instead of getting every notification throughout the day).
• Keep your news reading to a half-hour a day.
• Ask friends and family to refrain from election talk. 

 3. Consider the Common Ground

Health and wellness reporter Ruben Castaneda included some sage advice in a recent U.S. News & World Report article. Among his five ways to manage anxiety about the presidential election was this gem: “Think of the common ground you share with people who have different political beliefs.” That is, think of all the reasons you like your husband, friends, sisters, and parents that have nothing to do with politics. This works for the candidates, too. Brainstorm to find two or three things you have in common with the candidate you oppose. Try to find the common ground. It’s easier than you think and will make you less bitter toward that candidate.

4. Entertain the Worst-Case Scenario

Holland advises people to consider how unlikely it is that the worst-case scenario will happen. He says in the Post article, “One of the things you want to do is go, okay, wait a minute. What’s the range of possible outcomes here, and what’s the probability of those?” Then name the specific things you’re worried about, and the probabilities of those. I’ve always found exploring the worst-case scenario to be beneficial. We would all survive just fine. One of two things usually happen when you explore the worst-case scenario: Either you come up with a hilariously unfathomable situation that will make you laugh, or you will see that you have the inner and outer resources to endure such a situation. Either one will provide some relief.

5. Apply the ‘Serenity Prayer’

The classic prayer known as the “Serenity Prayer,” written by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, contains the formula for peace of mind for a variety of different anxieties: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” Psychotherapist David Richo, PhD, explains five unavoidable givens that we cannot change in his book The Five Things We Cannot Change:

•  Everything changes and ends. 
• Things do not always go according to plan.
• Life is not always fair.
• Pain is part of life.
• People are not loving and loyal all the time.

If you think about it, that’s election stress disorder in a nutshell. The ending and beginning of a new administration, even if we love the candidate, induces stress. We have almost no control over who gets elected. Elections are ugly, messy, and unfair. They are painful. And the candidates are far from perfect. 

But there are things we can change and do, such as:

1. Volunteering or donating for our candidate.
2. Limiting the toxic chatter to which we expose ourselves.
3. Recognizing that our craving for certainty and control is causing us angst, and trying to let go of that craving as much as we can.
4. Practicing self-compassion in the midst of the stress.

      Don’t let this year’s election affect your life in a negative way; you can control how you handle the nation’s next big decision.  But more importantly, you can be proactive in protecting yourself during political highs and lows, with Life Alert’s medical alert system.  While wearing their lightweight, waterproof medical alert, you can summon an emergency help fast with just one touch of a button. No matter if you encounter a stressful home invasion, home fire or even a serious fall, Life Alert’s dispatch team can be reached 24/7 to send you the help you need, fast. 

With over 32,000 lifesaving testimonials from grateful members and their family at www.lifealert.com, the choice is unanimous, Life Alert is the nation’s right decision in personal protection. 

Don’t stress over your safety and independence because you can elect the best candidate for your personal and home safety by picking up the phone and ordering your very own Life Alert medical alert today! For a free brochure on all of their lifesavings services, call 1-800-513-2934.

Works Cited:

1.       Borchard, Therese. “5 Ways to Manage Your ‘Election Stress Disorder’”. Everyday Health. 17 October 2016. <http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/5-ways-to-manage-election-anxiety/ >.

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