Every election cycle, roughly half of my clients are relieved and roughly half are anxious, worried, and upset. They ask what they can do “when there is so much bad happening out there.” Increasingly over the years, the request for help occurs in between election times, too, resulting in what I call “Bad News Stress.” This article will help you cope with “Bad News Stress” for ordinary times as well as Political Stress that is perhaps heightened after an election. If you are currently happy with the election results, read on anyway. My recommendations for self-care in response to Bad News Stress are similar to those for Political Stress.
When we explore Political Stress, clients talk about feeling tense and worried. They complain of a pervasive nagging anxiety, and sometimes, dread. The describe additional effects including distractibility, irritability, decreased motivation, and sometimes doom with hopelessness. Depressed feelings with decreased interest in and pleasure in activities is also commonly reported and tied to “what’s going on out there.” Many respond with extremes of either obsessively following the news or giving up and expressing “I don’t care about any of it anymore.”
When we talk about it, clients realize there are many things they can do to manage their responses more constructively and to feel better.
The first thing to do in response to Political Stress is limit your news and commentary exposure. Decide how much time per day or per week you can or want to consume news and commentary without getting down or distressed. Also, designate weekly time blocks for consuming none, for example, every other day, or at least one day per week. Perhaps a news and commentary holiday for several days in a row would give you a nice rest. Since news/commentary is ubiquitous, try refraining from all exposure including social media and across all screens. These black outs will provide a rest not only for your mind and emotions, but for your body – your central nervous system – to become more relaxed. Your body needs to be free from the strain of worry and tension in order to refresh. Even your brain chemistry will benefit by having less stress hormones and more happy hormones.
Second, give yourself physical and emotional safety. Plan ahead when you are going to spend time with people as to what and how much you will share of your views and opinions. Do not assume you are with like-minded people such as friends of friends. Many an event or evening has been ruined or made tense, and even relationships damaged or lost, by someone making an ill-advised comment in mixed company. Maybe the old adage of not discussing politics, religion, and money at the table could be expanded to not discussing such things in mixed company (including anyone you are not certain is like minded). Yes, we need to keep talking to each other about our differences. (More about that below.) But in general, to reduce your Political Stress, let this be your guiding principle: “when in doubt, leave it out.”
Third, have a group of like-minded people you trust with whom you can open up and express yourself without fear. We need to blow off steam and we need places to do it safely.
Fourth, take action. For example, join a discussion group. Attend a debate or community discussion event. It will be good for you individually and for us as a country to practice listening to each other and practice trying to understand each other within a structured, controlled environment. Write an op-ed to your local paper or magazine. Call or write a letter to your elected official expressing your views and asking for some change. Attend a completely peaceful march or demonstration. Be a change agent in some way, however small. Personal empowerment will reduce your Political Stress.
Do one of these things and then get up and walk away. Go for a walk and leave the problem – and associated feelings – behind. I like to say to clients visit the problem – and your feelings about it – and then walk away and leave it alone. Make it rhythmic: we approach and then we move away again. We are animals living in the rhythms and cycles of nature and science and we respond well to rhythm. We can learn mastery over our problems and worries by subjecting them to structure and rhythm.
Fifth, visit a good-news channel or follow the newsletter of an organization doing good, on a regular basis, to remind yourself of the good things happening in our country and in the world.
Lastly, get your proper sleep. My father, the doctor, says “the goblins come out at night.” That is, all seems scarier and more gloomy, even grim, when we are over-tired. Don’t stay over-tired.
Let me know how you do!
Best ~
Dr. Lisa Seropian
704-776-6438
seropianL@yahoo.com