Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin With Election Day just five weeks away, preserving your mental health amid the political frenzy is critical. Do your shoulders tense up when you hear a candidate speak? Does your stomach twist into knots when a family member brings up politics over dinner? You’re not alone. According to a recent poll by the American Psychiatric Association, nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans report feeling anxious about the upcoming presidential election.
Another survey by Pew Research Center found that about two in three U.S. adults find politics exhausting.
Why Does Election Season Feel Overwhelming? “Election season can be stressful because there are a lot of unknowns,” says Dr. Dakari Quimby , LA-based psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Southern California. People worry about who will win and how their decisions will impact policies, the economy, and, in turn, voters’ daily lives.
This anxiety is further fueled by fear-based campaign messaging. Dr. Reneé Carr, clinical psychologist and host of Politics & Psychology podcast, explains that when you internalize these threats and feel helpless to protect yourself or others, your stress response is activated.
And it increases as the final election day draws near. Given how politics has become more intertwined with personal identity, many people also find it difficult to separate political beliefs from their overall .