Listen Live

If you find yourself these last few weeks feeling even more stressed and anxious – beyond the normal concerns of life and even Covid-19 concerns – it’s possible you are struggling with “Election Anxiety.”

Almost two-thirds of Americans say this year’s political season has caused them to feel overwhelmed, frustrated or stressed out. To put that in perspective, only about 50% of the population felt that way during the last election.

Between now and November 3rd what can you do to reduce or manage this anxiety? According to Dr. Allison Chase, who specializes in mood and anxiety, the best and simplest way to do this is to reduce your intake of information. She points out that our ability to access political news is especially in front of us via social media. Be aware of how much time you spend engaging in reading political posts and articles.

Dr. Chase also points out that our minds have a tendency to go to worst-case scenarios these days. We worry about “what-if’s” or future events. Being more in the moment, positive, and check your brain, if you will, when it starts to run away from you, will help reduce bringing on more undue stress.

And if all else fails, hopefully most of your stress (regardless of the outcome) will go away after November 3rd … hopefully.

 

**Eric has his Masters in Counseling and when not on B105.7, works as a private practice counselor.**

Photo Credit: Getty Images/ronniechua