Strategies for Managing Election Stress
By: Catherine Tamayo, MS LPCC, with contributions from Kelly Ochocki, MA
The lead-up to an election often brings heightened emotions and stress. It’s important to stay intentional of your personal emotional needs when navigating and anticipating election results, regardless of party preferences. By preparing a personalized toolkit of grounding techniques and supportive connections, you can navigate the challenges of election season with effective stress management, without becoming consumed by future prediction thinking or losing sight of your personal needs in the present.
Understanding Election Stress
During election seasons, many may experience heightened anxiety, trouble sleeping, or difficulty concentrating. Elections can often trigger a range of difficult emotions, and the constant influx of news and political discussions at our finger tips can make it challenging to stay centered.
Grounding Practices Amid an Election
Grounding techniques can help you stay centered when emotions run high. Grounding keeps you focused on the present, allowing you to process your thoughts while reducing the negative impact on your mind and body.
How to Practice Grounding:
Breathing Retraining: Set aside a few moments each day to focus on slowing down your breathing and calming the body’s fight-or-flight response. Inhale slowly for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, and then exhale gently for 6 seconds. Repeat for several minutes until you feel your body relax. This method helps manage anxiety by regulating your nervous system.
Body Awareness: Notice any areas of tension in your body and gently relax them. Whether it’s releasing clenched jaws or lowering your shoulders, these small adjustments help bring your focus back to the present.
Nature Walks: Taking a walk outside and immersing yourself in the environment can help you feel more grounded and connected to your surroundings.
Checking In With Yourself
Regular self-check-ins can help you identify growing stress before it becomes overwhelming. This allows you to adjust your routines and address stress in a more intentional way.
How to Check In:
Reflect Daily: At the end of the day, take a moment to reflect on your emotional state. What emotions are you feeling? What triggered them?
Write It Out: Journaling your thoughts can help clarify your feelings and provide an outlet for processing difficult emotions.
Recognize Stress Sources: Identifying the triggers of your stress helps you take intentional steps to manage them.
Connecting with Supportive Environments
It’s important to have a support system in place during stressful times. Whether it’s family, friends, or a support group, connecting with others in a safe environment can help you process your emotions and maintain perspective.
Behavioral Activation
Behavioral activation involves engaging in positive, meaningful activities that counterbalance stress and anxiety.
Implementing Behavioral Activation:
Schedule Enjoyable Activities: Whether it’s cooking, exercising, or a creative outlet, set aside time for activities you enjoy.
Stay Active: Physical activity helps manage stress by calming your nervous system. Daily movement like walking or stretching activates the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting the stress-induced "fight or flight" response. Incorporating regular movement into your routine can help reduce stress, and keep you grounded during emotionally charged times like election season.
Incorporate Creative Outlets: Expressing your feelings through creative activities like writing, drawing, or music can provide a positive outlet for stress.
Engage in Value-Aligned Activities: Election stress may often trigger painful feelings due to a lack of control or difficulty sitting with uncertainty. Reflecting on your personal values and planning activities to help you live in line with them can help you increase your personal agency and reground yourself during election times.
Gradual Exposure to Election Topics
Gradually exposing yourself to election-related content in manageable doses helps reduce anxiety without completely disengaging.
How to Use Gradual Exposure:
Set Time Limits for Media Consumption: Limit your time spent on election news to avoid becoming overwhelmed. For example, designate a specific time each day to check in on election updates.
Reflect on Your Reactions: After consuming election content, take time to reflect on how it affects your mood. If necessary, step away and use grounding techniques.
Balance News with Positive Content: Offset political news with uplifting or relaxing content to maintain emotional balance.
Collaborating with Mental Health Professionals
If election stress feels unmanageable, a mental health professional can provide personalized strategies for navigating difficult emotions.
Steps to Collaborate with Professionals:
Consider Therapy: A therapist can help you explore and process emotions around election-related stress and provide coping mechanisms tailored to your needs.
Learn Mindfulness Techniques: Mental health professionals can guide you through relaxation exercises and mindfulness practices to keep you centered.
Join Support Groups: Some therapists offer group sessions where you can connect with others experiencing similar stress.
Resources and References
Books:
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne:
This book offers practical tools for managing anxiety and stress, including techniques for grounding and emotional regulation.
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach:
A powerful resource on mindfulness and self-compassion, this book teaches ways to accept emotions and reduce emotional overwhelm during stressful times.
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, and Matthew McKay:
A comprehensive guide with exercises for breathing retraining, grounding, and stress management.
Websites:
American Psychological Association (APA):
The APA website provides valuable resources on managing stress, anxiety, and mental well-being, including articles related to election stress and coping strategies.
2. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):
The NIMH website offers research-backed tips and articles for coping with stress, anxiety, and emotional health, with evidence-based practices and strategies.
3. Mindful.org:
A website offering practical mindfulness exercises, including breathing retraining and grounding techniques to reduce anxiety and increase emotional awareness.
https://www.mindful.org 4. Short Grounding Exercise Guided Meditation: Leaves on a Stream (10 minutes) – A brief, calming meditation to help you center yourself by visualizing thoughts as leaves floating down a stream.
At Mind Matters Collective, we understand the challenges of navigating stressful times like election seasons. Our therapists are here to support you in maintaining emotional balance and resilience. Schedule a session today and take the first step toward prioritizing your well-being Contact Us Here.
