It’s no secret that this election year has been a bit more tense than those in recent memory. It also seems like there is more at stake than there has been in years prior. The country is changing at a rapid pace and there are many issues, both domestically and internationally, that have made a huge impact.
All of these things, plus having a full load of coursework, bills to pay and other responsibilities, may become a bit overwhelming, and anxiety may get the best of you. We sat down with Smita Majumdar Das, executive director of Stony Brook University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Behavioral Health, and picked her brain on a few things to do if election anxiety is getting the best of you.
Take a deep breath: Majumdar Das explained that taking a step back and evaluating how important this is in your everyday life is the first step.
“As human beings, we are anxious about things that sometimes never happen,” she said. “So a lot of things, a lot of fears, stay in our head, and we catastrophize a lot of different things. Take a deep breath and remember that whatever happens, happens. We have very little control over it.”
Majumdar explained that while we do have some control over the voting process — we get to vote for the person we feel will do the best job — we have no control over how other people feel. As long as you made the effort to control what you could, then it is time to accept that you did your part.
Give back: Majumdar Das said that finding a way to give back to your cause can help put the mind at ease in the lead-up to the election, and can help accept the outcome in the end. Perhaps looking into joining a young professionals club or finding out how you can get involved locally in the campaign for your candidate can help. Other times, looking within and reflecting on what you feel is a way you want to give back to society can be the route to go. It is a personal choice.
“Sometimes, there is a very small or personal way you want to make a change, and to change your surroundings. Think about how you want to impact the world around you and find a way to do that,” she said.
Put down the phone, pick up a skill: While it is easy to grab the phone and “doom scroll” or sit and read all of the headlines during your free time, if your feelings are already a bit uneasy or you feel your anxiety growing, begin monitoring your information intake. “The moment you go down that rabbit hole, you’re surrounding your thoughts in a very, very narrow kind of way and you’re not thinking of anything else,” she said. Instead, try meditation, a quick breathing exercise or simply engage your mind elsewhere, like a new hobby or building up your skill set.
“For example, if you like to cook, find a very difficult recipe and try to engross yourself into that cooking process. Try to engage in something that is fun or a skill you want to try to master; not too much of a cognitive load,” Majumdar Das said. “You can’t be thinking about politics and try to do something new or master a technique of your choosing.”
Go to therapy: If you have big feelings about something, there is no reason that therapy cannot be an option, especially if you’re feeling stuck in that emotional state. Therapy, said Majumdar Das, does not have to be long-term, either. It can be episodic, meaning that when the problem has been worked through, therapy can cease.
“If you’re feeling stuck, part of therapy is exploring why you feel that way. It might not be the election; it might be lots of different things surrounding your life that already have you feeling stuck and the election is added on to it, like the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said. Majumdar Das added that people are generally very resilient, and if something truly makes you unable to move forward, it may be bigger than just the election.
— Emily Cappiello
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