Election Mental Health Preparedness
By Dr. Ella Yung
Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash
A hot topic in my sessions lately has naturally been the election. Regardless of political view or level of passion/apathy, there's a wide range of stress that has been slowly building.
Many of you might be managing well enough, some of you perhaps not so much. I knew I wasn't prepared when I watched the first debate, turned it off half way through because I couldn't stand it, and had a nightmare that night.
I’ve now had several discussions with my clients about how one can engage in "election mental health preparedness" and thought it would be helpful to share a few tips that have resonated. Similarly to having a plan to vote, I suggest considering a plan to cope as well.
1. Identify Your "Election Support Crew"
You know who makes up your social support network, but have you discerned which people in your circles are better suited to give you what you need in certain situations? While someone may be a good friend or a person you "love very much", it doesn't necessarily mean they’ll be able to help you cope during the election.
Find the people whom you don't have to explain why you're activated, the people who don't drain you of your reserves, and the people who naturally make you feel understood, especially when it comes to election-related issues. On the flip side, it's OK to tell the people who are not in your election support crew that you might be a little MIA in November and ask for acceptance in the name of self care.
2. Consider Exposure
Decide ahead of time how much you want to see in the moments before, during, and right after Election Day (and be prepared that we may not know the final results of the election for some time). Keep in mind that not seeing any of it is an option. For example, I have a client who will be camping in a place with no service for a couple days.
Ask yourself what will be the most productive use of your time before, during and after the election. Watching the numbers fluctuate or constantly checking the TV/radio, social media feeds, or groups chats may increase your stress and worry - might it be good to pull back on these activities or eliminate them all together? Our desire to know everything as it's happening is a very human need for control and reassurance and the media exacerbates this insatiable hunger.
The chaos of the year has made the innate need to “know” extremely powerful, but fatigue and vicarious trauma are still at play - so take a beat to think about what the balance will look like for you.
3. Help Your Future Self Cope
Develop a plan to take care of your basic needs. Make sure dinner is prepared and ready beforehand. Make time to go on a walk during the day. Try to get good sleep the night before and have boundaries around getting sleep the night of the election (I recommend not staying up till 4am because a state’s results haven’t come in yet, for example). Have movies and shows picked out ahead of time so you don't have to do the labor of deciding what to watch when you need the distraction ASAP. Make sure the people in your election support crew know that they have been chosen as such and confirm they can be there for you.
4. Change the “What if...” to “What is...”
What if my chosen candidate doesn’t win? What if I lose my health insurance? What if my marriage is threatened? How will this affect my children’s future?
The trouble with anxiety is that it’s often grounded in some truth - that’s what makes it difficult to shake. You can only reason your way out of so much and when no one can guarantee you that the worst case scenario can’t happen, anxiety will live that up. The “what ifs” build and never end. So I often ask my clients to change one letter in their thoughts and ask themselves “What IS” instead of “What IF”.
What is happening right now is the election is in progress, it’s not over. What is happening is you’re baking a pie. What is happening is you’re safe at home waiting for election news with loved ones. I really like this because:
It helps with grounding and being present and,
It doesn’t invalidate the anxiety.
If the dreaded “What ifs” end up coming true, then it must be dealt with and ruminating on them beforehand won’t give you a leg up. So you might as well focus on what is actually happening around you and save yourself some of the pain of pre-worrying if the worst case actually doesn’t come true.
5. Self Compassion
This has been the single biggest theme in therapy for me this year (professionally and personally). Even as I type this, I’m self conscious and wonder if people are going to guffaw at me for having to “mentally prepare for the election”. It’s so easy to shame yourself as being weak, dramatic, emotional - all the things society would have you believe for caring about something. There's enough to fret over without having to judge yourself for struggling from time to time. Remember to be kind to yourself and your feelings. It's been a tough year and the existentialism of it all is very real. Now, if you're drowning in it might I recommend therapy to help offer extra support?
I hope something in this helps someone out there. Goodness knows with a week left I’m reinforcing my self care strategies because I need it. Here’s to hope, passion, and voting y’all. Cheers.
