Managing Election Season Stress & Anxiety | Anxiety Therapy in Greensburg

As election day draws nearer, it’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed by politics, especially when the election climate is contentious. You may be inundated with texts and mail from political candidates. You may see more TV and online ads from candidates imploring voters for support while critically outlining how a political opponent falls short. In the course of looking for information to help you to decide who to vote for, you may find yourself awash with large amounts of information to digest and put into context. If you already struggle with stress and anxiety, election season might just exacerbate those symptoms.

Although presidential elections occur every four years and midterm elections every two years, the lead up to these two events may cause feelings of anxiety and stress for some people. Any negative effects about the state of the country and public wrangling by political opponents can lead to preoccupation and concern. People may also experience angst about how an election outcome could affect their daily lives in profound ways, or their children's or grandchildren's future.  This is true no matter where you fall politically.

Professional counselors define election stress as anxiety that’s triggered by election news and is different from other kinds of stress because it is specific to the timeframe around an election cycle. These stressful feelings can spill into someone’s personal and professional life, and can cause conflict with family, friends and colleagues.

What This Stress Can Look Like

People with election stress can seem more irritable when conversations turn to politics or even personal situations, like healthcare, that have become thorny issues due to government policies. Some people may have trouble sleeping because of worrying and stress. In more severe cases, this increased anxiety can lead to panic attacks or even strained relationships that have long-term effects and disrupt holiday gatherings and other social get-togethers.

Managing Boundaries During Election Time

Some counselors advise that setting boundaries can help you devise a plan to limit your involvement with the things or people that cause you heightened stress. If you know who you're voting for, you don't need to keep consuming material that's causing anxiety or stress. The goal is not necessarily to stop people from discussing their political opinions with you, but how you respond to those opinions if it makes you uncomfortable. You may also want to consider self-care strategies and plan for what you will do as you await the election and learn the results. Here are some questions to consider:

•How will I discuss this political topic?

•How will I not discuss it?

•What is my time investment in this conversation going to be?

•What is my time investment with this person going to be when it comes to political topics?

•How much time am I going to invest in watching or reading about political topics?

•How will I spend the days leading up to the election?

•What will I do when I hear the results?

•What will my self-care plan be?

It may not always be possible to avoid political topics, but you can control how much you engage whether it’s with a person or the news you consume.

Stress & Anxiety Therapy in Pennsylvania

If the election stress is getting to you, reach out for stress therapy. Caring Conversations offers in-person anxiety therapy in Greensburg, and online stress counseling to residents all across Pennsylvania, including busy metro areas like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Erie, and Villanova, or more rural spots like Somerset, Lancaster, or New Hope, PA.

Whether you live in Wexford, PA, or Squirrel Hill in the heart of the city of Pittsburgh, or somewhere in the Pittsburgh’s South Hills, you can receive online anxiety therapy/ counseling through Caring Conversations Therapeutic Services. No matter where you live in Pennsylvania, Caring Conversations Therapeutic Services, LLC has you covered. Call us today! - 724.201.9815.

This blog is written and maintained by non-clinical staff. Therefore, it should be taken as psychoeducation and opinion only and not as medical advice or a replacement for therapy. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis that is life-threatening, please call 911. For a mental health crisis that is not life-threatening, call 988.