Feeling the election jitters? If so, you’re not alone. As a recent Wall Street Journal article aptly stated, “America is having a panic attack.” This headline resonates with many who find themselves overwhelmed by the constant influx of news and headlines.
In today’s intense climate, it’s easy to feel weighed down by worry, fear, and uncertainty. These emotions can quickly spiral out of control, but it’s crucial to manage that stress as much as possible.
Half of employees dread coming into the office amid the contentious 2024 political environment. As election day looms, a Kickresume survey reports that office political discussions are heating up, and nearly 50% of workers say they notice an increase in politics-based conversations. Plus, a national study by AMFM Healthcare finds that political anxiety is a significant concern, with 22% of Americans saying it’s affecting their mental health.
WHAT’S DRIVING THE ELECTION ANXIETY
According to the kickresume survey, 50% of employees say political discussions have increased over five years. Most employees are uncomfortable talking about politics but find themselves drawn into political discussions. Here’s a quick snapshot at what’s driving election anxiety:
- Misinformation and negative messaging. 57% cite misinformation, while 56% point to “doom and gloom” messaging as top stressors.
- Post-election anxiety. 55% worry about what happens next, impacting focus and productivity at work.
- Information overload. 38% feel overwhelmed by non-stop election coverage, with stress spilling into their work life.
- Avoidance in the workplace. Nearly 53% avoid election talk at work, while 37% steer clear of political discussions with colleagues holding different views, creating communication and collaboration challenges.
HOW TO MANAGE ELECTION ANXIETY
- Limit exposure to the news. Set boundaries on the amount of time you listen to or watch disturbing political debates or displays of political violence played over and over in the media or continued analysis by broadcasters. Media saturation of sound bites and the repetitive barrage of images can further exacerbate and deepen election jitters.
- Set rules about exposure.When social media constantly bombards us with the same distressing information over and over again, it can create mental chatter—nonstop collective rumination. Overly consuming news worsens anxiety. Set rules for yourself such as reading or watching the news for 10 minutes in the morning or evening, but don’t go down the clicking rabbit hole of checking the poll predictions every hour of the day.
- Engage in calming activities.Just getting outside in nature is itself a form of stress reduction and relaxation. Balance your time between staying active and restorative rest. A walk or jog around the block combined with five minutes of meditation—both give you a biochemical boost. Activity raises endorphins. Quieting your mind stimulates the part of your brain that dampens the surges of adrenaline and cortisol accompanying stress.
- Zoom out.Your brain is hard-wired to zoom in on violence, mayhem and conflict for fight-or-flight purposes because those acts are threats to survival. It isn’t always easy, and it can feel like swimming upstream, but it’s important to zoom out of your mind’s myopic view and look at the bigger picture.
- Take action.Studies show when potential victims are able to take some kind of action to have a direct influence on their experience of the anxiety, their symptoms are either reduced or nullified. Show your support through donating financial support for your candidate, participating in a discussion group, joining peaceful demonstrations and making sure to cast your vote.
- Practice self-care basics.Make sure you get ample sleep, nutrition and exercise. Unplug and take breaks that fit your interests and lifestyle. Your body and brain will appreciate the reset, and your well-being and serenity will return the favor. Getting through a worrisome event rarely moves as fast as most of us want. Try not to push or fight the process as it can backfire and stall getting to a more stable place.
- Mindfulness meditation teaches your mind to do what it doesn’t do instinctively: to come back to the present, enjoy the moment and appreciate your life instead of focusing on worries of the future. Science attests to the link between mindfulness and stress reduction, well-being and healing after trauma. In my interview with meditation expert Tara Brach, author of Trusting the Gold, she explained our relationship to worry and fear and how we can make a U-turn to deal with it: “It’s important that we have a way of being with fear that allows us to open our hearts. Meditation lets us pause enough so we can enlarge our perspective and come back home to a calm refuge inside of us where we can respond to what’s going on with a lot more intelligence and heart.”
Credit: forbes.com
PS: This piece was written in August 2024 for the American election, we publish it here due to its relevance to the Ghanaian election
