We are in the middle of another election cycle. This cycle feels significant for a couple of reasons. One, along with local elections, there is a presidential election. A national election always brings more political ads and discussions. This year, the presidential election has been complicated by an assassination attempt on one candidate and the incumbent dropping out of the race.
Two, elections heighten our awareness of the significant divisions that exist across the political spectrum. We hear over and over how divided the country is. We hear each side go beyond highlighting differences in policy to making comments about their opponent’s character. They don’t just have bad ideas; they are bad people.
Even with these challenges, one of the greatest privileges we have as citizens of a democratic republic is voting. Along with being a privilege, it is a responsible way to participate in the life of our nation. And yet, this responsibility, and the challenges mentioned above, can create a lot of anxiety during an election cycle.
Anxiety and worry are responses to situations that are unresolved or beyond our control. An election cycle has both of those.
The hype around political campaigns can go on for months, even years, but the only thing that resolves the situation is the election itself. While each of us has the privilege of voting, we know that our one vote will not control the outcome.
Anxiety and worry are also instinctive responses to danger. When we sense a threat, we are anxious. If the threat is in the future or is abstract, the anxiety can become chronic and increase. In the presence of divisiveness, where we vilify our political opponents, we can frame the outcome of the election as a threat to our future.
One of the ways that we deal with ongoing election anxiety is to seek reassurance. When our anxiety comes from something that is unresolved or beyond our control, when it comes from a sense of danger, it is natural to look for answers. We look for evidence that the situation is under control, and so, we don’t need to worry.
Enter the 24-7 news cycle on TV. Enter the vast number of webpages available on the internet. Our reassurance-seeking behavior leads us to our favorite news outlets or websites, with their partisan commentators, that give us the assurance of a favorable outcome. Of course, along with the easy access to those who can assure us, there is easy access to negative or pessimistic information. There is also access to heated arguments with someone from the opposing side.
All of the information we gain from this assurance-seeking behavior make work for a while, but it doesn’t make the worry go away. So, we start looking for more information that only feeds the cycle of anxiety.
Here are some actions you can take to help with your election anxiety.
1. Reduce your media consumption.
Television stations, internet news sites, and social media platforms are not designed exclusively to share news. Try this experiment. Watch a couple of hours on a news channel. Really watch it. You will notice that most of those two hours is spent sharing provocative opinions and commentary instead of actual news. We think we are taking in information, but really, we are hearing more and more words that can feed our anxiety.
Because television and websites are available 24-7, set aside a specific time to explore election information. Make sure you are seeking information and not just commentary.
During a political season, it is easy to click onto your favorite website or turn on your favorite news station without thinking. Imagine you are sitting in front of your computer or TV. Pause for a moment and ask yourself some questions. What am I hoping to accomplish by viewing this? Will this be healthy or stressful? Is there something else I could do right now that would be more meaningful?
2. Practice gratitude.
Political candidates want you to vote for them. Part of their strategy is to convince you how bad things are in the world. But what if that’s not true?
Look around you. Take in all your have. Express gratitude for its presence in your life. You have some delicious food sitting in front of you. You have a delightful conversation with your neighbor or partner. You feel the grass beneath your feet or the warmth of the sunshine.
Express gratitude for all of these, because they are just as real as what you are reading and seeing during this political season.
An election is just one source of anxiety. My anxiety treatment page will give you more information about how you can deal with all the sources of anxiety in your life.