It’s a typical Tuesday morning. You’re enjoying your first cup of coffee and catching up on the news when suddenly, a wave of anxiety crashes over you. Your peaceful routine is hijacked, plunging you into a spiral of frightening “what if” scenarios.
If this scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many Americans are feeling burdened by the weight of the presidential election as it draws near.
“Every presidential election brings on a great deal of stress for many different reasons, particularly fear of the unknown,” says Braun Tueller, PA-C, MS, a psychiatric physician assistant at Huntsman Mental Health Institute. “Around this time, I do a lot of work around anxiety and depression management.”
While we can’t eliminate anxiety altogether, we can take steps to avoid stressful situations and manage our reactions. These four tips can help you navigate anxiety during challenging times:
1. Make Some Ground Rules
For many of us, social situations can get rather tense when conversations shift to politics. If you’re anticipating an uncomfortable meetup with friends or colleagues, communicate your boundaries ahead of time.
“If you’re hosting a party, make it a point to set some ground rules about political talk so that everybody has the same expectations for topics and conversations,” Tueller says.
Keep in mind that boundaries are not bulletproof, so it’s best to be prepared when people cross the line.
“Remind yourself that this is not a setting for engaging in a debate and changing people’s minds,” Tueller says. “Just choose to disengage when someone feels the need to say what they need to say.”
2. Go on a News Diet
In this modern age of endless news feeds, it’s all too easy to fall into the “doom scroll” trap. This toxic habit can distort your perception of reality, as fear-inducing media outlets compete for your clicks.
These tips can help you navigate the nonstop news cycle and reclaim your inner peace:
- Schedule Your News Intake: Rather than constantly looking at your news feed, schedule a “news time” during certain time of the day—and keep it brief.
- Expand Your Sources: Find several credible, trustworthy news outlets that can give you a broader view of the world. Otherwise, you could be feeding your anxiety by reading the same narrative from just one or two news sources.
- Curate Your Feed: You don’t have to be stuck with the same news selections created by an algorithm. Take control by pressing the “not interested” button on your news feed, unfollowing channels that are triggering, and following the pages that bring you joy.
3. Get Election Day Ready
Election day can be both thrilling and stressful, causing our nervous systems to go into overdrive. If you’re experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety during a stressful moment, it’s time to take a break. Here are some helpful tips:
- Don’t stay glued to the screen watching the results and political commentary. Remember, your constant attention will not change the outcome.
- When you feel the pull to your screen, take a walk outside or call up a friend instead.
- Practice a guided meditation or relaxation exercise. Many are available for free online.
- Preoccupy your mind with a project, such as a game, puzzle, or household chore.
- Relax your body with deep-breathing exercises, which can work wonders on your nervous system by increasing oxygen flow to the brain.
4. Put Your Mental Health First
If the anxiety you’re feeling doesn’t go away or gets worse, it’s time to seek help from a professional. Sweeping these feelings under the rug won’t help you in the long run. In the meantime, try to be mindful of the big picture.
“It’s important to remind yourself that we've done this before,” Tueller says. “We've had terrible and fantastic presidents in the past, yet we moved through it all and survived. History has shown us that we can survive this and move on.”