Uncertainty about the election getting to you? Is anxiety the dominant feature of your emotional landscape, maybe with a small sprinkling of impending doom?
You are not alone. A recent survey found that 69 percent of American adults are seriously stressed about the 2024 presidential election.
It's difficult not to be worked up about politics in today's polarized climate. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you sit on, you may find yourself glued to your browser or TV, gobbling up every tiny tidbit of news and feeling your stress levels skyrocket.
I'm a psychologist who develops and tests strategies for combating anxiety. As I constantly tell my stressed-out clients, when it comes to election news, there's a fine line between being well-informed and being oversaturated with information.
If you're ready to short-circuit your stress spiral, here are three science-backed strategies for coping with anxiety in times of uncertainty.
Being mindful refers to the quality of awareness you bring to your experiences -- specifically, nonjudgmental attention focused on what's happening right now.
Mindfulness practices originated in Eastern spiritual traditions, including Buddhism. Over the past several decades, mindfulness has gained popularity as a powerful tool for managing anxiety. For instance, meditation apps such as Headspace and Calm incorporate it. Even if meditation isn't your thing, though, you can still apply nonjudgmental awareness, focused on the present, to election-related anxiety.
Be present. Anxiety can draw you into an uncomfortable spiral of "what-ifs" about the future. When you make a point to be present, you remind yourself what is actually happening right now, rather than letting hypothetical fears take over.