How five therapists plan to manage election day stress

As the US presidential elections quickly approach, anxiety is reaching a fever pitch for many Americans.

Nearly 70% of Americans say they are stressed about the election, and 77% say they are stressed about the future of the nation, according to a new poll from the American Psychological Association.

Candidates and their campaigns are flooding social media and TV with ads, texting potential supporters and putting up posters on every corner. As a result, it can be difficult to think about anything other than the upcoming election. And mental health experts are there just like the rest of us.

“If you’re a human being in America, you’re probably worried about the election.” Thea Gallagher, PsyDtold podcast host and clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health Health.

But because therapists are trained to help people navigate tensionthey have their own hacks for dealing with anxiety in pressure-cooker situations like this. With that in mind, here’s what four psychologists and a psychiatrist had to say about how they’re dealing with election day stress.

The last few election cycles have felt “emotionally draining” for Gallagher, and this year is no different. “I’m worried this time and I’m worried about how people will react to either outcome,” she said.

But on Election Day, Gallagher said, “I will ask myself what I can and cannot control.”

That’s why Gallagher knows she’ll have to be there for her children and her patients on Election Day, and she plans to work a full day. However, she also gives herself some grace in advance if it is “one of those days” when emotions bubble up.

But Gallagher also says she expects she will have to remain in uncertainty for a while. “During the last election cycle, we didn’t know the outcome for several days,” she said. “I am measuring my expectations that we will not know the outcome on Tuesday evening.”

Gallagher said she plans to watch the news Tuesday night but will cut herself off at her usual bedtime.

“You still have to be aware of other responsibilities in your life,” she said. “There’s parenting, relationships and work — it’s important to have healthy boundaries between the news cycle and your personal life.”

The expected outcomes form a large part of the reporting during elections, but… Hillary Ammon, PsyDtold assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Health that she wants to pay less attention to it.

“In both 2016 and 2020, I admit I was glued to the TV just waiting and watching every state that was called,” she said. “I worried all day, and for days afterward.”

Now Ammon said, “I want to worry less about the speculation and projections.”

So she plans to avoid social media and the news until the polls close. “Before the polls close, it is often just speculation on news channels. And as we’ve learned in the past, speculation can increase tensionand ultimately incorrect,” she said.

Even after the polls close, Ammon said she will choose just one news source to follow and will continue to stay off social media.

“Whether I watch the news or not, I will probably experience discomfort due to the uncertainty,” she said. “During that time, I would prefer to do more meaningful activities that can help me stay calm, such as taking a walk, watching a comfort show on TV, or spending time with my family.”

Like Gallagher, she also sticks to her usual bedtime.

“I plan to disconnect from all reporting before going to bed and follow my normal bedtime routine to reduce anxiety during waking hours,” Ammon said.

John Mayer, PhDtold clinical psychologist and author based in Chicago Health that he feels “worried” and “worried” about the upcoming election, but he is trying to do what he can to achieve success on Election Day.

One step he has taken is putting things into context. “I realized that there have been bitter, contentious times in elections before and we have survived and even thrived,” he said.

He also spoke with people on both sides of the aisle to get a better sense of the political landscape at large. “Being a provider who treats people from all over the country and from all walks of life has given me great insight into both sides of the election,” he said.

On Election Day itself, Mayer said he plans to stay focused on his job.

“I have a full schedule of therapy sessions from early in the morning until 1 a.m. Tuesday evening, so that will be to deal with by helping others cope,” he said. “It is my honor and duty.”

“Stressed and tired and anxious” is how Jonathan Metzl, MD, PhDprofessor of sociology and psychiatry and director of the Department of Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University, feels in the run-up to the elections.

“Every day there is a new crisis story, a new development that seems to increase fear,” he said Health.

On Election Day, Metzl said he plans to focus on his work, interacting with his students and talking about what the implications could be for the election results. “Hopefully I’m giving back to the next generation,” he said.

Taking the time to discuss with a group of people how you feel about the election can be helpful, Metzel added, given that “there is so much group anxiety right now.”

“It’s important to be around other people just to reinforce that people are not alone,” he said. “As far as my own emotions go, I think it’s important to interact with other people and process them.”

The possibility of violence in the aftermath of the elections is a concern Jaime Zuckerman, PhDa licensed clinical psychologist based in Pennsylvania.

“There is such a big divide fueled by intense feelings, especially anger and frustration,” she said Health. “I fear that regardless of the outcome, we will see an increase in non-peaceful protests, anger and angry social media posts, which will ultimately create even more division.”

So Zuckerman plans to stay busy. “I will be engaging in non-election-related behavior that day,” she said. For her, that means doing things like working, going for a walk, cleaning the house and… play tennis.

She also sets rules for herself about the information she will consume on Election Day.

She said she plans to choose two credible news sources — one local and one national — to follow. “I will make a conscious effort to check these sources only a few times a day: once in the morning and once in the evening,” she explained.

Ultimately, Zuckerman said she wants to focus on the things within her control.

“Other than voting and doing my best to get others to vote, I have little control over the outcome of Election Day,” she said. “It is important to look at what I have control over, which is to engage in activities and behaviors that I enjoy and value.”