Elections can spark a variety of emotions including feelings of excitement, fear, joy, anxiety, despair, and more. Experiencing the variety of emotions and thoughts that come up regarding elections, potential outcomes, and the future can be distressing and downright dysregulating for some individuals. It’s important to remember that experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions is normal, and that there are a variety of ways to cope with the emotions that come up, some of which are listed here.
- Focus on the things you can control. With so much uncertainty about how an election might play out and the effects to come after, feelings of overwhelm or helplessness to control the situation may come forward. By focusing on the things within your control, you can regain a sense of stability. Things that you can control include who you vote for, where you direct your time and energy, the people you engage with, how much time you spend on social media, and the actions you take to care for yourself on a day to day basis.
- Avoid doom scrolling. High levels of media engagement and debate surrounding the potential outcomes of the election may cause us to seek out additional information regarding polling results, other people’s opinions on a candidate or issue, or meme’s surrounding the election. This can lead us to get stuck in an unending loop of exposure to emotionally-charged messages and images on social media which can impact how we think and feel. While it’s important to stay informed and up to date, it’s also important to take breaks from the endless scrolling on social media or the news channel.
- Engage in healthy self-soothing mechanisms. By finding ways to lower our overall levels of stress, we can feel more calm and less dysregulated. Healthy self-soothing may look like watching an enjoyable tv show, spending time with friends and family, indulging in your favorite meal or dessert, utilizing physical activity, taking a warm bath or shower, or engaging your senses using aromatherapy.
- Be patient, and don’t panic. We likely won’t know the final results of the election the night of the election. Early polling results may not be accurate due to different ways that states count their votes, and therefore it’s important to not jump to conclusions until states submit their final results. Be patient and trust the process.
- Surround yourself with people who support you and bring you peace. Emotions can run high on all sides when it comes to the election. Engaging with hate is not a productive use of time or energy. Respectful discussion surrounding misinformation and differing views is important, but if you find yourself becoming more upset or dysregulated as a result, it’s time to step away and engage with individuals that foster calm and peace.
- Stay present and remain hopeful. Getting caught up in too much future-oriented thinking can raise a lot of “what if” and “worst case scenario” thoughts which can be frightening and anxiety-provoking. Do what you can to stay present, taking it one moment at a time, and leaning into the things that foster safety and happiness for yourself.