Do political ads from the opposing side enrage you so much, it almost feels like you could fire flames out of your head, like the character Anger from the film “Inside Out”?
Or does the thought of the upcoming election – and the associated news and social media posts – leave you listless, exhausted and yearning for a break?
These are just a few signs of election stress, which may be ramping up before Election Day on Nov. 5.
Political division in the United States can make presidential elections feel like a question of life or death, says Emanuel Maidenberg, PhD, a psychologist with UCLA Health.
“It’s really not,” Dr. Maidenberg says. “But this is one of the sources of distress.”
Presidential elections can feel very high stakes, he says, especially amid the many attention-grabbing stressors in the world, such as war and natural disasters. But regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum or how stressed the election has you feeling, there are things you can do to feel more calm, Dr. Maidenberg says.
Watch where you put your attention
It might be easy to find yourself mired in the news, reading everything you can on the candidates or on ballot initiatives in your community. Seeing political ads on TV or online may be unavoidable. Ultimately, though, you are in charge of where you place your attention.
When your attention is occupied by stressful content, stress is a natural result, Dr. Maidenberg says: “The goal is to make your attention available to other things that are more balancing, regulating and pleasant.”
So if you notice your internal temperature rising while reading, scrolling or watching the news, maybe click over to a cat video to bring down the heat. Or better yet, go outside for a quick walk. Exercising – and even resting – outdoors can boost mood and energy, a 2018 study found.
Cultivate a “non-judgmental, present-oriented” perspective
“Staying grounded in the here and now can help you not become overwhelmed with emotions,” such as the frustration, anger, worry and fear that can come with thinking about the election, Dr. Maidenberg says.
Developing nonjudgmental acceptance of whatever is happening in the present moment – accepting our thoughts, feelings and circumstances as they are, without evaluating them – a practice known as mindfulness, is a skill anyone can learn, he says.
“It’s not a medicine one can take. It’s a commitment of time and effort to build that skill,” Dr. Maidenberg says. “But the good news is, anytime is a good time to start, because it’s effective and it’s well worth it.”
UCLA Health’s mindfulness education center, UCLA Mindful, has a free app that offers basic meditations for beginning a mindfulness practice, available in 14 languages, as well as instructional videos and other resources.
Explore your values
The ancient Greeks were on to something when they advised “know thyself.” Dr. Maidenberg says that knowing our values can help us understand what matters most to us, which can inform our behaviors and our choices in the voting booth.
“It may be one of the more helpful ways to alleviate confusion, instill hope, protect us from perceived expectations and make well-informed decisions on how to utilize our privilege of making choices and voting in a democracy,” he says.
Most of us may not be able to say offhand what our values are. It can be helpful to look at a list of common values (there are many options online) and consider what your top five or 10 might be.
Knowing these helps us clarify what’s most important, Dr. Maidenberg says, and we can make political choices that align with these ideals.
In addition to helping us know ourselves better, understanding our values – which change with age and life stage – also instills compassion for others, Dr. Maidenberg says.
“It makes us more tolerant of other points of view or other ways of thinking,” he says. “It loosens up our judgement, because we understand how complex it is and how much different things come into play when we’re coming up with these answers for ourselves.”
Connect on common ground
It can be particularly challenging when those closest to us have political views vastly different from our own. We may feel tempted to try to convince family members to see things our way or exasperated when they share their views (or try to convince us).
There’s a tendency to see another person’s political views “as a representation of who they are as a person, which is an incredible source of distress,” Dr. Maidenberg says.
Instead, remember all the qualities you love and admire about your friends and family members with different views, and focus on those. Talk about music, food, movies, sports, or other things you both enjoy.
“It can be helpful to make a conscious decision not to talk about politics,” Dr. Maidenberg says.
