With election day finally here, the whole country seems to be on edge. This political stress is impacting just about every aspect of life, from what we buy at the store and which family members we have dinner with to how many hours a night we sleep and how often we get sick.
As the frenetic, frenzied energy ramps up to the night of November 5th (and will likely continue until the Inauguration), it’s essential to learn ways to minimize stress. To help you do this, Mindfulness Strategies is highlighting a variety of exercises, tips, and techniques to help you thrive in the wake of a fierce political climate.
The Mindstate of Nation
Know that the political stress and anxiety you’re feeling are felt by many others across the nation. According to a recent American Psychological Association (APA) poll, more than 7 in 10 adults reported the future of our country (77%) as a significant source of stress in their lives, making it the most common source of considerable stress in 2024. This primary stressor was followed by economic concerns (73%) and the 2024 U.S. presidential election (69%).
When comparing recent elections, the APA found that stress related to the 2024 election was slightly higher than in 2020 (69% vs. 68%) and significantly higher than in 2016 (52%).
Overall, the study shows a country reeling with existential stress. The anxiety of the election and the strained political climate are intruding on people’s thoughts and feelings. According to the APA survey:
30% said they limit their time with family because they don’t share the same values
32% say the political climate has caused strain between them and their family members
41% consider moving to a different country
56% believe the 2024 presidential election could end democracy in the U.S.
64% feel as though their rights are under attack
72% were worried the election results could lead to violence
If you’re looking for ways to minimize your political stress, know that there are meaningful steps you can take to make it happen. Some of these best practices are mindfulness-based, and others are ways of thinking and approaches to good mental hygiene.
Understand The World Isn’t Black & White
Philosophers have been on a quest for absolute truths for millennia. But viewed through the lens of faith and spirituality, ethics and morals, culture and politics, the concept of truth becomes blurry.
Even when applying the scientific method, we realize that knowledge is provisional—that is, the truth exists until new findings emerge. For instance, we once thought spontaneous generation was possible, that our planet was the center of the universe, and that the Earth was flat.
This is not to say that you can’t hold your own individual opinions about right and wrong and good and evil. But it’s important to recognize the relativism of everyone’s truth. Doing so can help improve difficult relationships.
Remember, too, that you are not obligated to convince a person of your beliefs. Although a counter-opinion may threaten our point of view, it’s not the case. Holding space for someone else's viewpoint doesn't make yours any less valuable.
2. Accept The Things You Can & Cannot Change
You don’t have to be religious to find wisdom in the Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Albeit this prayer is widely associated with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), it’s very much applicable to the consumption of political news and its impact on our daily lives. Let’s consider what we can and cannot change in our political landscape:
Can Control
How Much Media We Consume
How Ofter We Engage in Self-Care
How We Cope with Political Stress
How We Vote
The Conversations We Engage In
What Causes We Volunteer For
Cannot Control
Corporate Lobbying and Influence
Election Outcomes
Global Economic Trends
International Relations and Conflicts
Media Coverage and Bias
Other People’s Political Beliefs
3. Keep Yourself Healthy
Research from the University of California San Francisco shows that political stress can actually make us sick. But what’s also clear is that staying physically healthy has a significant impact on your mental wellbeing. While vigorous exercise can help alleviate anxiety and stress, you can see incredible benefits from incorporating a walk into your day. The food you consume can also play a major factor in how you feel each day. Lastly, and this is imperative, you need to limit your screen time, especially when it comes to social media.
4. Practice Mindfulness
The concept of mindfulness has found its way into many people's lives. But its popularity doesn’t make it any less effective. Studies continue to show that practicing mindfulness can result in positive psychological changes, including reduced emotional reactivity and increased feelings of well-being, as well as:
Reduced anxiety
Reduced emotional reactivity
Reduced feelings of loneliness
Reduced pain
Reduced rumination
Reduced stress
Improved cognitive flexibility
Improved emotional Intelligence
Improved focus
Improved productivity
Improved relationship satisfaction
Improved working memory
Adapted from Joseph Goldstein, leading mindfulness and insight meditation teacher, author, and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), there are three mindfulness strategies we recommend implementing in the days to come:
Observe Your Thoughts
Take five to ten minutes each day to check in with your thoughts through a mindfulness meditation, Remember, your thoughts do not identify you. You should avoid judging them. Just observe them.
Patterns often emerge when observing our thoughts. These patterns allow us to see thoughts as simply mental events rather than truths about ourselves or others. By reflecting on, rather than engaging with, our thoughts, we create space to choose our responses rather than reacting impulsively.
By allowing ourselves the self-compassion to check in with our thoughts, we may develop a sense of inner peace that allows us to make better decisions. Moreover, it helps weaken habitual thinking patterns and promotes greater emotional resilience.
Like any other practice, mindfulness of thought requires patience and repetition. By repeatedly witnessing thoughts without judgment, we’ll recognize when thoughts aren’t serving us.
Slow Down
Between work deadlines, family obligations, and personal commitments, it often feels like we’re sprinting through our days. This omnipresent sense of urgency makes many of us feel like we need to rush through every moment of our day.
But it’s critical that we pencil in time for ourselves. Whether it’s a formal calendar reminder to participate in an hour-long yin yoga class or 15 minutes blocked out to complete a morning body scan, it’s important to pump the brakes occasionally.
By forcing ourselves to slow down, we can gradually reduce the compulsion to rush, even under pressure.
Slowing down gives us the opportunity to be more aware of the moment. This approach doesn’t suggest you go slower than necessary with every task but rather take an intentional beat to ensure you can mindfully enter the next chapter of your morning, afternoon, or night.
Mindfulness in Daily Routines
This is perhaps the most accessible version of mindfulness—we often call it microdosing mindfulness. With so many time constraints in our lives, it’s helpful to integrate our practice into our daily routines.
By mono-tasking during specific parts of your day, each moment can feel more meaningful. Heck, you might even have the incredible opportunity to feel bored for a second. Remember that feeling? Whether you’re eating, walking, or washing dishes, consider the sensations you feel while doing them and the thoughts that start percolating.
Between social media, podcasts, and 24-hour news coverage, there is little time to let our brains unwind. So, don’t be surprised if your thoughts are pretty noisy at first; there is likely a lot of chatter that hasn’t yet had a chance to float to the surface.
Keeping Political Stress to a Minimum
Being open to other perspectives, understanding what you can and cannot change, keeping yourself healthy, and incorporating mindfulness into your daily life can ease political stress. If you’re looking for additional ideas to reduce stress, our blog has a growing collection of free mindfulness resources. Please explore these articles to find strategies that work best for you.