The 2024 presidential election is approaching, and with it Americans’ anxiety is rising. In a poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, 73% of surveyed adults endorsed feeling anxious about the 2024 election.

Election season always brings uncertainty and, what with both sides calling one another a threat to democracy, the stakes feel particularly high this year. Add to that an assassination attempt and President Biden’s late-stage withdrawal from the race and what we have is a recipe for anxiety. Though we can’t control what happens in the coming months, we can control the ways in which we practice self-care through them.

Survival Strategies for an Election Year

Some degree of anxiety is normal and expected in circumstances where we care about a certain end result and there are many unknowns. To keep that anxiety from becoming overwhelming, however, try the ideas below.

1. Accept your feelings. Fighting or judging uncomfortable or unwanted emotions tends to prolong and intensify them. Instead, try to be curious. Notice what happens in your body, label the emotion for what it is, and validate that the emotion makes sense given the gravity of a presidential election.

2. Get engaged. Identify where you do have control and action steps you can take that align with your values/your desired outcome for the election. Register to vote and make a voting plan. You could also consider signing up to work the polls in your community and donating to or volunteering for your preferred candidate’s campaign.

3. Have boundaries. It is unhelpful and anxiety-provoking to be constantly plugged in to the news cycle, nor is it necessary to remain informed. Boundaries around news consumption could include:

   • Turning off push notifications from all news sources.

   • Reading about or listening to news updates rather than watching videos if you find the visuals to be emotionally distressing.

   • Setting a time limit (I would recommend no more than 30 minutes daily) for engagement with the news.

   • Not consuming any news for at least an hour before bed.

   • Checking in with yourself as you engage with the news. Are you actively engaged, curious, feeling empowered by having more information, fired up to take action? Or are you passively scrolling, feeling depressed, feeling anxious, feeling helpless and like nothing you do matters? If the latter, step away.

4. Engage with life outside of politics. This one is obvious, but very important! Do things you like to do, spend time with people you enjoy, go outside, prioritize good sleep and the habits that support it, etc. Anxious spiraling related to the election and what it will mean for our future does not serve you or benefit the causes/issues you care about.

therapy is here for you

If you find that anxiety about the election is making it difficult for you to function, causing you to lose sleep, or creating issues in your relationships, anxiety therapy can help you feel more grounded amidst uncertainty. Therapy can also be a safe space to process your feelings about the election and the state of the world more generally with a neutral and affirming person if you lack that outlet in your personal life. In need of some extra support? Contact me today to get started.