Coping with Election Stress

Ten Tips for Coping with Election-Related Stress

1.  Know how your mind and body manifest stress.

Do you experience? 

Headaches, muscle tension, neck or back pain?   Upset stomach?  Dry mouth?  Chest pains or rapid heartbeat?  Difficulty falling or staying asleep? Fatigue?  Loss of appetite or overeating—perhaps eating too many “comfort foods”?  Lack of concentration or focus? Memory problems or forgetfulness?  Jitters or anxiety?  Irritability or short temper?

If you’re experiencing the above symptoms, know that it’s time to take better care of YOU. Self-care can mean exercise; eating well; getting more sleep; talking with others; focusing on your academics; engaging in activities that give you a sense of mastery or control; and doing things that you like or enjoy. Beware of activities that involve AVOIDANCE, like procrastination and using drugs or alcohol.

2.  Be cognizant that not everyone else thinks or feels as you do.

Be careful about assuming that everyone should see things as you do, or about expecting support from everyone for your emotional reactions. When you assume others see things as you do, you run the risk of alienating others who see things differently, and feeling disappointed when others don’t support your perspective. Remember that the political process, is, by its nature, often divisive.

3.  Limit your exposure to the media. Consider taking a “news fast.” This doesn’t mean tuning out entirely forever. It just means taking breaks from continuous exposure to events that are outside of your immediate control.

4.  Talk about your reactions with your support network. It helps to be able to let our thoughts and feelings out. But be mindful of talking for too long and too intensely about the same topic (like politics). This can keep you mired in feelings of anger and despair, and can be a turn-off to those around you.

5.  Everyone’s election experience is unique. That being said, many individuals from historically marginalized groups will experience this election in a different way than privileged individuals. Invest your energy in taking the time to listen, support and be an ally to those with less power and privilege than you.

6.  Practice gratitude on a daily basis, for all that you have to be grateful for.

7.  Engage in acts of service to others.

8.  Remember the historical perspective. Our democracy has been an experiment from the beginning. Trauma therapist Jonathan Foiles said it well in an article for Slate in June, 2018: “America has always been a contradiction in terms. The same man who wrote some of the most stirring words of the Declaration of Independence believed they only applied to white male property owners and was a slaveholder. The highest aspirations of our democracy have not been realized for most of our history….We must learn to see representative democracy not as something that was enacted with the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution, but a hope to which we have often aspired and seldom reached. This is meant not to spur us even further into despair but rather to reduce our own myopia and realize that our struggle is nothing new.”

9.  If the election does not turn out as you wish, you may be tempted to dwell in sadness and despair. Those are certainly understandable reactions. Feel them and then let them go (easier said than done). Just because you can’t see a future doesn’t mean there isn’t one. To again quote Jonathan Foiles (ibid), “Despair closes off the future, making us feel assured that all of our attempts at building a more just and humane world are doomed. Hope holds the door open, if ever so slightly, to the chance that it could be different. Do everything you can to keep it cracked open.” Allow your anguish to be transformed into a dedication to work with others in support of your values and what you believe in.

9.  If you find yourself unable to manage the stress of the election, stress from school, or stress from other life events, consider accessing the Counseling Service.

The Lewis & Clark Counseling Service (503-768-7160) offers free and confidential telehealth appointments, while the Office of Case Management (503-768-8230) helps students connect with resources off-campus. After hours, and anytime the Counseling Service is closed, our 24/7 Crisis Counseling Service (503-265-7804) is available to support students.

Not sure if you need help? Check out the anonymous, online screening tools for anxiety, depression, eating concerns, alcohol or drug use, gambling concerns, well-being and more at https://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/lclark. You will get feedback about whether it might be helpful to talk with someone.