How to manage your mental health this election season

Election season is polarizing—and not just in the political spectrum kind of way. Trudging through people’s opinions, political rhetoric, and 24/7 news can push anyone to emotional extremes. 

It makes sense to feel passionate: The outcome of an election impacts people’s lives. The policies passed by elected officials and their staff have consequences. 

In the lead-up to voting day, you may feel pressure for a lot of reasons:

• Staying informed about important issues
• Deciding how you’ll vote (or feeling anxious if you can’t vote)
• Navigating political discussions and differing opinions
• Wondering about how other people will vote
• Worrying about your own safety and future

Whether it’s your first election or your fortieth, a national or a local one, it’s normal to feel stress around a political event. However, there are ways that you can manage your mental health during this election season. These strategies can be useful leading up to the election, on voting day, and after ballots have been cast and counted. 

Limit your social media use

With everything going on in the world, social media can be a way to feel connected. Whether it’s staying up-to-date on current events or seeing what like-minded people have to say, these platforms keep us informed about our nation and our world. 

There is, however, a point when scrolling through posts shifts from informative to distressing. It’s normal to feel upset and concerned when you see injustice, suffering, and any of the several crises happening in the US and around the globe. You may feel inspired to take action.

When the barrage of posts, comments, and ads interfere with your sleep, cause isolation, or increase your dissatisfaction in ways that start to feel unmanageable, it may be time to take a step back from your newsfeeds.

Look into ways to create boundaries around your news intake and how you use social media. We’ve put together a guide to help you cut back on scrolling—and to be more intentional about what you consume and how you spend your time.

• 6 ways to set healthy boundaries with social media

Set your boundaries

Speaking of boundaries, elections can impact how we interact with people outside of social media. Knowing your own personal limits in other aspects of life prepares you to define your boundaries and protect them. 

During politically charged moments, here’s how setting your boundaries can help: 

• Know when to step away from a situation or discussion. 
• Prevent burnout from over-extending yourself. 
• Let people know how to treat you with respect. 
• Create space for healthy communication with people you care about.
• Understand your own priorities so you can put your energy where it matters most to you.

Once you have a sense of your limits, you learn when to engage and how to disengage. You can be intentional about the influence you exercise in your own daily life, the lives of people around you, and the world. 

If you haven’t figured out your values and boundaries yet, we have resources to help you learn.

• What Are Boundaries and How to Set Them 

Use calming strategies

Emotions during crises can be overwhelming. Feeling powerless may feel like being trapped. Our physical and mental health are connected, which means we might start to feel these emotions in our bodies. 

Anxiety is just one common example of how our mental health affects our physical health: You may notice changes in your sleep or your appetite. 

These heightened emotional states can also show up quickly, like with a panic attack: Something triggers you then suddenly, you feel dizzy, confused, maybe like you can’t breathe, among other symptoms. 

Experiencing a panic attack can make you feel out-of-control—but you can deal with them. Start by learning how to identify the symptoms of a panic attack when it’s happening then learn how to stop it.

• How to spot the signs of a panic attack and stop one

Direct your energy to what you can change

Our world is imperfect. Inequality and injustice harm living beings around the world everyday. If you feel angry or discouraged, that’s normal and valid. Perhaps you’re motivated to work towards making the world better. 

Taking action can have benefits, like making a difference in someone’s day, but can also give you a sense of agency in your own life. If you’re inspired to take action, don’t forget that you’re not responsible for doing it all on your own. 

Set realistic expectations and goals for what’s possible with the resources, time, and energy that you have. Maybe you can’t be on a congressional committee directly drafting a policy that affects people’s rights—but you can call your representatives, show up to town halls to voice your concerns, or organize letter-writing campaigns that influence people on that committee. Or maybe you can volunteer or donate to an organization that works on those issues. 

Here are some quick ways to figure out where to focus: 

1. Identify the areas you care about and the outcome you’d like to see. Try starting with just three to keep it manageable at first. 
2. Brainstorm practical things you can contribute, like writing, stuffing envelopes, knocking on doors, educating people, voting, donating, driving supplies, sharing a social media post—or something else. It doesn’t have to be glamorous, just doable for you. 
3. Think about your networks: What resources are available to you in your circles? How would people you know be willing to get involved?
4. Start where you are, no matter how big or small. Every little bit counts. 

Regardless of what you choose, be patient with yourself. You don’t need to over-exert yourself, and if you find yourself getting to that point, it could be time for some self-care. 

Practice self-care

Yes, you still deserve to care for yourself, even when things feel hopeless. 

It’s good to care about what’s going on but try not to let it consume your every moment. Pushing yourself too hard or constantly fixating on an issue can lead to burnout. When we’re overwhelmed, we can’t always show up when it counts. Maybe that means you’re missing your deadlines at work or you don’t have the energy to go volunteer for a cause you care about. 

Set aside some time to disconnect and refill your pool. That could mean taking a walk, listening to music, or even just doing something where you put yourself first. 

• Don’t know how to do self-care? Check out this guide for building healthy habits. 

Talk to someone you trust

Conversations about politics sometimes turn sour. These discussions tend to be rooted in people’s core values: People’s differing positions create spaces where people don’t trust each other. Navigating stressful conversations can inflame any negative emotions you’ve already been feeling (or inspire new ones). 

It’s hard to hold all these feelings alone. One way to deal with it is to find someone you trust who shares your values. Knowing someone else understands how you feel can help you feel less isolated and provide some perspective. 

Sometimes, our friends and family aren’t equipped to support us completely. Whether they share your views or not, they might have something else that they’re carrying. Miscommunication can strain your relationship. Perhaps they have healthy coping strategies—but those aren’t the right strategies for you. 

Therapy offers a space where you won’t be judged and where you can work through your emotions. You’ll get support and perspective, without worrying about if you’re asking too much of someone. Therapists are trained to help people through difficult times and create a path towards well-being. They can collaborate with you to find strategies that fit into your life. (Remember those positive actions? You could talk to a therapist about identifying the things you can do and change.)

Whether you’re looking to begin therapy or you’re just thinking about it, here are a few resources to start:

• How can therapy help me?
• How to choose a therapist you connect with 
• What Type of Therapy Is Right For Me?

Already in therapy? Try bringing these up in your session

If you have a therapist and need more support this election season, don’t be afraid to bring it up with them. They’re here to support you through difficult times but also through life’s changes. (A change in political leadership definitely counts.)

If you’re unsure about how to bring it up, take a look at some of these examples of how to start the conversation with your therapist:

• “I’ve been experiencing some symptoms lately, and I think it’s because of the election. I’ve been [having a hard time sleeping, feeling unsafe, tired from how much there is to do, losing focus because I don’t know what to do, etc.]. Do you have any suggestions on what will help me?” 
• “I’m worried about seeing my family during the holidays. They don’t understand where I’m coming from politically. How can I set boundaries around how we disagree?”
• “I’ve been feeling angry about what I’m seeing in the news and I feel powerless to stop it. Can we talk about it and what I can do?” 
• “I can’t sleep. I’m scared about how the election will affect me and my loved ones. What are some strategies that I can do to cope and feel more protected?”
• “It feels like I don’t understand the people around me anymore, and they don’t understand me.”
• “There’s so much going on, and I feel guilty for not doing more. What can I do?”