Psychologists share tips to avoid election day stress and anxiety
Almost a quarter of American adults feel anxious about this presidential election. Many people are overwhelmed by the nonstop news cycle. And social media posts about it. We welcome Dr. Jim Raines from Kaiser Permanente for some tips on how we can manage all of this in the lead-up to tomorrow’s election. Thank you very much for being here. you’re welcome. A lot of people are talking about this. I’ve heard many people talk about this anxiety, both inside and outside of the newsroom. What is it about elections that makes people so anxious? First of all, how are you doing? I’m doing very well. We were just talking about this, and tomorrow you might have some anxiety, right? right. Yeah. Well, one of the things we need to realize is that this time we can really throw us off balance because we focus too much on things we can’t control. problem. And it is human nature for us to lean in and lean against. Therefore, it is very important to be able to understand how some kind of balance can be achieved. But control is an interesting thing. When you’re focused on the weather, it’s like being on a yacht. I can’t control the weather, but I can control the sails, right? So let’s find out what we can control and talk about that a little bit. right. So we know that people can self-regulate when they feel anxious. They may have some coping mechanisms in place. What should people do in the days leading up to and in the days after the election?Again, one thing to keep in mind is to not get too overwhelmed. Albert Ellis had a great line, the problem isn’t that you get upset, the problem is that it makes you even more upset, like, “I can’t believe I’m so overwhelmed.” This drives me crazy, but I can turn it down just a little bit and find my balance again. Because without that, I wouldn’t be a good husband. I can’t be a good worker. You know, you don’t want your surgeon to come in wrapped up in everything else. I want them to have some balance as well. So, eating well, exercising, practicing mindfulness, practicing gratitude, things like that, breathing exercises, yoga. that’s right. I think it’s all about sticking to some sort of routine. Your daily routine. That’s correct. Routines are great because you can stick with them. Therefore, even though other things are happening, they don’t get too intense or intense, but they still have the independence to continue doing the same thing day in and day out, even though there are things that are out of their control. It gives us a feeling. So keep going to yoga classes. no problem. Okay. So today, we know that many people are feeling anxious ahead of the election. But as we know, elections can last several days. Even if it’s just for a week. What should a person do if this anxiety continues for the next few days? A few things. One, again, keep coming back to these routines. Do all the things that worked for you in the past because things are different now. Now, with that being said, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with anxiety or feeling really depressed, you know that you can also reach out to me or your health care provider. absolutely. It’s okay to feel anxious. It’s okay to feel anxious. That’s normal.
Psychologists share tips to avoid election day stress and anxiety
Updated: November 4, 2024 5:50 PM PST
Almost three-quarters of American adults feel anxious about the presidential election. Kaiser Permanente’s Dr. Jim Raines joined KCRA 3’s studio on Monday to share tips for not feeling overwhelmed by the election cycle. And it’s human nature to lean and lean, so being able to understand how you can achieve some kind of balance is really important,” Raines said. Raines said finding out what you can control can be important. He also shared some tips to avoid getting overwhelmed. “There was a great line by Albert Ellis that said, ‘The problem isn’t being upset, it’s that you’re getting more upset,'” Raines said. “You can counteract that a little bit and get that balance back again.” Here are some other tips shared by mental health experts. Focus on what you can control Recognize your emotional responses Take a break from information Prioritize self-care and routine Focus on daily life Maintaining a routine helps by giving you things you can control . “It gives us a sense of agency, being able to continue doing the same thing every day,” Raines said. See more of California’s top stories here | Download the app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
Almost three-quarters of American adults feel anxious about the presidential election.
Kaiser Permanente’s Dr. Jim Raines joined KCRA 3’s studio on Monday to share tips for not feeling overwhelmed by the election cycle.
“We focus too much on things we can’t control, and that’s always a problem. And it’s human nature to lean back and think about how we can achieve some kind of goal. You can think, ‘Balance is really important,”’ Raines said.
Raines said finding things you can control can be the key to avoiding some of the stress.
He also shared some tips to avoid getting overwhelmed.
“There was a great line by Albert Ellis that said, ‘The problem is not being upset, the problem is getting more upset,'” Raines said. “We were able to shake it up a little bit and get it back on balance.”
Here are some other tips shared by mental health experts.
- focus on what you can control
- Recognize your emotional responses
- take a break from information
- Prioritize self-care and daily life
- focus on the big picture
Sticking to a routine gives you something you can control and it helps.
“Being able to continue doing the same thing day in and day out gives us a sense of agency,” Rains said.
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