Stress is a very common feeling for most people. In fact, it is a normal part of life.
Everyone has different stress triggers from money to family to health issues, but generally, the most common stressor for people is work.
Whether you are out in the workforce, earning money to provide for your family; whether you are a stay-at-home parent, trying to raise your kids to be productive members of society; or whether you are out of work, but trying desperately to find employment –– work stresses are never-ending and more often than not, they are all-encompassing.
However, recent surveys show that “election stress” is on the rise with Tuesday’s general election.
When I first heard the term, I have to admit I balked a little, but then I spoke with my good friend, who also happens to be a brilliant, Ph.D-holding, psychologist, Whitney George, and she set me straight on this topic.
In a survey by the American Psychological Association, up to 52 percent of several thousand respondents reported feeling stress over the election Tuesday.
George believes people are even more stressed than they have been in previous elections for a variety of reasons.
Some of those reasons include how polarizing and opposite the candidates are this year, the state of the economy and the state of foreign affairs.
George says one of the main reasons why stress levels among voters are high is because there is nowhere to escape or get away from the election –– it is everywhere.
“Social media certainly has something to do with it, but the media in general impacts the way we’re viewing this election,” she said.
“You can’t turn to the TV to escape it. Every commercial is touching on it. ‘Saturday Night Live’ had skits about it. It’s everywhere and there is no outlet right now where people can get away from it,” she said.
In considering the reality of George’s comments, she is correct.
With the popularity of social media in a society that is technologically dependent, people are able to stream news 24/7 at their fingertips.
As an avid Facebook user, typically my news feed is chocked full of photographs of friends’ children or pets, which are my favorite, or the not-so-exciting posts of how many miles a friend ran or their gluten-free lunch.
But since the election started heating up, the temperature of my news feed has changed drastically.
Now, there are those Facebook folks who consistently post to promote their political agenda, but lately, even the most non-political people are coming out of the woodwork and sharing their views with all of Facebook.
Some are even threatening to unfriend those with different political positions. It is getting ruthless.
The good news is there are ways to cope with election stress.
George recommends separating yourself from the political influx, for at least a portion of the day.
Exercising, going for a bike ride or a walk on the beach or even counseling –– are good coping mechanisms.
George also says “for any stressor, the first step is to be self-aware enough to acknowledge you are being impacted by something in your life.”
In this case, the election.
She further comments that “sometimes people are quick to think they are not being impacted by the election, but it is important to self-reflect on ways that it might be impacting you.”
As G.I. Joe used to say, “Admitting it is half the battle.”