Navigating the Political Storm: How to Manage Election Anxiety

Elections have been shown to be a tumultuous time, particularly as of late, stirring up intense emotions. As a therapist, I can attest to this personally, with the last cycle in particular triggering a surge in my private practice. People came with looking for help managing election stress and worry. There is no denying that the current climate and barrage of news, social media and other sources, are stirring up fear and concern for the impact of whatever the outcome is.

There are underlying psychological factors that can contribute to election anxiety.

Clearly there is significant social and political polarization at play. This creates a sense of threat. Information overload with a strong negativity bias can also fuel anxiety. An added concern, recently ushered in by A.I., adds questions about the legitimacy of the content being consumed, in some cases. This requires people to understand it’s a factor, in that one cannot automatically believe everything they see. The angst of all of this combined is creating a particularly unique tension.

The overarching psychological issue at play is a feeling of uncertainty and lack of control. Elections inherently involve questions about the future, which can trigger anxiety, particularly for those who feel a strong sense of threat to their values or way of life.

Election anxiety, like any type of anxiety, can show itself in many ways. Some have more clearly defined behavioral manifestations they…