Election Anxiety: What it is and How to Deal

Individuals anticipating election results. Courtesy of the Washington Post

Ideally, elections should be moments filled with patriotism, and a time for citizens to have respectful disagreements at the polls, no matter how divisive the issues. 

However, in 2024, elections and ballot boxes are literally fiery (i.e. the burning of the ballot boxes) and that leaves millions of Americans ill at ease throughout Election Day. 

With previous stormings of the Capitol Building, and Trump assassination attempts, it remains valid that American citizens would be on edge at the possibilities of rebellion post-election. 

That being said, psychologists across the country have said there are several methods that can be utilized to cope with these worries. 

In an article for Northern California Media, therapist Andrea Kirk said anxious feelings surrounding the election are not only normal, but expected. 

“Around these election periods, I’ve seen a significant increase in anxiety, trepidation, anger, people feeling very confused and overwhelmed,” Kirk said. 

Kirk went on to say this election anxiety can send one’s nervous system into overdrive, consequently calling for coping methods. 

Coping mechanisms such as listening to your body are crucial. Taking deep breaths, working out one’s nervousness with exercise and staying off of social media are all accessible methods to manage election anxiety. 

In regards to social media, experts say it is best to avoid it if one tends to easily get anxious. 

Psychiatrist Dr. Sue Varma told CBS News that scheduling time off of social media is a good method for regulating election related anxiety. 

“It’s really important to have and carve out sacred spaces throughout your day where you don’t have constant notifications,” Varma said. 

Varma went on to say, “The phone is constantly telling you, moment by moment what’s happening in the news, and that’s really hard to pay attention or to be productive.” 

Likewise, to ease election anxiety it is best to avoid political discourse if this is something that brings about large amounts of stress. 

Make your voice heard at the polls, not in conversations with others in order to lessen election stress.

During a time filled with so much uncertainty, it is normal to try to seek control in any manner possible. But it is important to recognize that sometimes attempting to gain a sense of control can do more harm than good.