What is Election Stress?
Election stress refers to a heightened period of sociopolitical anxiety and dread that many Americans experience around national elections. A poll by the American Psychiatric Association found that 73% of Americans reported being anxious about the upcoming election. For the 2020 Presidential Election, Inside Higher Ed found a similar level of stress among college students, with higher rates for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Uncertainty is the source of much of our election stress. We have a natural inclination to want to know what is going to happen, so we can be prepared to respond. When this ability is taken away from us, it can be common to imagine worst case scenarios or to want to disengage entirely to avoid the ambiguity.
It is important to remember that stress is a helpful bodily function in correct doses. Feeling stress about the election is our body’s way of encouraging ourselves to prepare for the outcome, whether we deem that outcome good or bad. However, when we feel an excess of stress or our stress is persistent, it affects our happiness and well-being. Accordingly, we encourage you to take a look below at some strategies you can utilize to manage your election stress.
Strategies for Coping with Election Stress
Manage Your Content Intake
While it is important to stay informed, constantly refreshing polls, pursuing every news story, and turning otherwise neutral feeds political can quickly feel suffocating. Take breaks from your consumption and make sure the election is not the ONLY thing you are reading and hearing about. Similarly, seek diverse perspectives but feel comfortable blocking accounts or sites that seek strictly to incite or upset you.
Accept What You Cannot Control
One of the most important aspects of stress management is to focus on what you can change and accept what you cannot. There are certain portions of election season that will inevitably be uncomfortable. It is important to remember that these are temporary, and you will get through them.
Feel Your Feelings
Honor the emotions that come up during this season and attempt to be present with them. While avoidance is a helpful short term stress management technique, leaving emotions unprocessed for significant amounts of time can lead to burn out. Putting your feelings into words by writing them down or speaking vulnerably with someone close to you can help you process what you are experiencing.
Do What Works for You
It is important to find the coping strategy that works for you. Some folks may need to engage more, while others may need to pull back. You might want to talk through your feelings, while a friend may be exhausted with talking about the election all together. Try a few different strategies and stick to the ones that work, while recognizing that the strategies others employ may be equally effective and valid for them.
Occupy Yourself
Remain active, whether that means increasing your time spent in a hobby you enjoy or increasing the amount of volunteering or advocacy you do around an issue you value. Physical activity can be particularly valuable during times when you feel overwhelmed or stressed.
Practice Gratitude
Political campaigns and projections tend to focus on what is, has, or will go wrong. There can be an emphasis on the potential for loss of structure, progress, and rights. During these times, it is important to remind yourself what you do have that keeps you going. Taking even just a minute a day to write down what you appreciate or say thank you to those that support you can create a real and positive shift in your outlook on the world.
Seek Support
If you find yourself overwhelmed, remember you do not have to go through this alone. Ask a friend or family member to chat or try out one of the resources listed below.
Resources Available to You
DU Health and Counseling Center
The DU Health and Counseling Center offers low to no cost individual and group therapy to DU students. You can make an appointment at du.edu/hcc or 303-871-2205. The Health and Counseling Center will also be increasing the availability of same-day appointments during election week and will hold their End of Season Stress Relief event featuring therapy animals on November 13th 10:30am-1:30pm in CCOM 1700.
Same-Day Appointment Hours in the Ritchie Center:
- 11/6: 9am-5pm
- 11/7: 9am-5pm
- 11/8: 9am-3pm
BIPOC Support Drop-in Hours in the Student Inclusion and Belonging Lounge (CCOM 1200):
- 11/6: 1pm-3pm
- 11/7: 1pm-3pm
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available to anyone in need of support, whether they are thinking of suicide, experiencing a different mental health crisis, or seeking advice to help someone else. They are available free of charge by phone or text at 988 and by chat at 988lifeline.org.
Crisis Text Line
The Crisis Text Line is always an excellent resource when you need support, but they also have specific resources for election season on their Election Anxiety webpage. If you want to talk to someone about your election stress, you can text ELECTION to 741741 for English or ELECCIONES to 741741 for Spanish to reach a live volunteer crisis counselor.
Free Expression at DU
We recognize that elections can bring up difficult and charged conversations. DU has assembled resources and guidelines to support your ability to engage in these discussions and express yourself effectively. Check out the Free Expression at DU page for more information.
