How to Cope with Election Anxiety: 5 Effective Strategies
Do you find yourself feeling anxious about the upcoming election? There is so much divisiveness among the parties. The possible outcome of this election, for both parties, whichever way you lean, is a source of significant stress. As a therapist, I am seeing the increase in stress, dysregulation, anxiety, and fear as the election is determined on November 5, 2024. I thought it would be helpful to discuss some effective coping strategies to navigate this next week with calm, peace, and resiliency.
5 Effective Coping Strategies for Election Anxiety
Limit News and Social Media Exposure
We are inundated 24/7 with news. Whether it is on TV, social media, online news sources, it is readily available all the time. This constant barrage of political news and opinions is one of the biggest sources of stress. Our nervous systems are not designed to take in this amount of information, so we easily become overwhelmed which leads to heightened anxiety. I encourage you to set a limit for how much news you will take in. Designate specific times to check it and set a timer for 10-15 minutes. When the timer goes off, shift your focus to something else. You can also mute, even temporarily, accounts that you know increase anxiety right now.
Trust in the Sovereignty of God
When we are faced with the realities of life, stressors, difficulties, it is an invitation to reflect on who or what we are trusting in. If our trust is in people, we will be led astray, let down, and feel fearful. Regardless of the outcome of this election, God is still on His throne, He knows the outcome of this election already, He has a plan. We may not always see the plan clearly, or understand it, but can we trust? When situations don’t align with what we desire, we can look at God’s character as it is outlined in Scripture, and cling to the truth of who He is. If you are reading this and do not believe in God, let me ask you where your hope is found? What do you anchor to in times of difficulty, stress, pain? Does your anchor shift with the seasons? If so, how reliable is that? I invite you to take some time and wrestle with this. If you do believe in God, are you actually trusting Him? I invite you to spend some time reflecting on how your trust in God impacts your day to day life. This is an invitation for all of us to grow.
Focus on What is in Your Control
You have probably seen the circle of control image that is online, on Pinterest, and travels around social media. If you haven’t, go ahead and look it up. Much of our anxiety is centered on things that are outside of our control. The “what if’s” or “how will I’s” are clues that anxiety underlies the statement. For example “what if riots break out after the election?” Or, “How will I survive if such and such is taken away?” When you find yourself in a state of anxiety or stress, draw a circle. Write down what is within your realm of control, and what is outside your realm of control. Daily habits, how you handle emotions, wellness strategies, movement on your personal goals, how you treat people, shifting your focus, are all examples of things within your realm of control. Once you identify the items inside your circle of control, it is time to take action. Choose one thing and begin to take a step. This shifts your mind away from the anxieties that are outside of your control, and brings your focus into areas that you can take action in.
Practice Calming Strategies
What are your strategies for when you notice your body is tense, your mind is racing, your breathing is shallow and fast, or your unable to focus on the tasks of the day because your mind is focused on the source of stress and anxiety? Mindfulness and calming strategies are incredibly helpful for managing anxiety. Here are a few you can try:
Practice deep breathing. Focus on inhaling to the count of 4, using your diaphragm for your breaths, hold it for 2, and then exhale to the count of six. Repeat this several times. Deep breathing can shift your physiological response.
Read scripture: Open your Bible, or if you have a devotional you can use that also, and begin to read. See if you can identify characteristics of God and how He interacts with people. Or look up verses on God’s sovereignty.
Use grounding techniques: Focus on your five senses. What can you see, hear, taste, smell, touch in this moment? See if you can observe and describe those things in as much detail as possible. You can also play a little mental game such as, identify every name that you can think of that starts with the letter B, then the letter F, and so on. This brings the mind into focus.
Connect with Support
Who are the people in your life that are supportive? See if you can connect with them. It may be a friend, a family member, a coworker, a dietitian, or a therapist. Surround yourself with people who understand your concerns, can be a system of support, and who do not escalate your fears. This may mean setting boundaries around political conversations and focusing on other topics. As you engage in relationship with others, work also to be an effective listener and support to them as well. Election anxiety can lead to tension in relationships, but we can shift to focus on the things we have in common with people, and rather than break down a relationship, it can be used to bring unity.
Let’s Take a Deep Breath!
As you navigate this next week, let’s be intentional about calming the body, the mind, and the spirit. Feel free to reach out for additional support this week. Or you can join me for a free workshop on calming the nervous system that will take place on November 6th at 12:00pm EST.
