Expert advice for coping with election stress

SEATTLE — This summer, therapist Michelle Ehle added a new offering to her practice: a weekly group focused on getting through the presidential election.

Clients were bringing up politics during sessions, and she wanted to make a space for people to process emotions before the November election.

In the first sessions, the group focused on basic political education and breaking down jargon. They've worked on how to communicate with family members when emotions are heightened. Now the group is focused on emotional well-being and self-care while dealing with an unknown outcome.

"This particular election is not a normal election," said Ehle, who is based in Olympia. "It's interfering with individuals, and members of the group are having difficulty talking to their families."

The 2024 election began with the prospect of a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. In May, 73% of American adults said they felt anxious about the 2024 election in a poll from the American Psychiatric Association.

The summer brought more political turmoil, with an assassination attempt on Trump and Biden dropping out of the race in July. Anxiety has remained high. In August, 79% of adults reported that the presidential election had caused them anxiety. More than half of respondents said they think about the election daily.

Politics affect our emotions because they tap into our morality and sense of right and wrong, said Brett Ford, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. There's also a group element: When people identify with a political party, it can feel personal when someone attacks a candidate or they have a gaffe.

Add in constant access to political news, and the lead-up to the election is "a recipe for stress," she said.

"At the end of the day, roughly half of the country is going to feel like they lost," Ford said. "It almost doesn't have to be a special election for these things to loom quite large."

How people are feeling

Therapist Mags Aleks has heard a range of election fears from clients. Some are abstract: What would another Trump presidency mean for the future of American democracy, especially given the Jan. 6 insurrection? Some are much more specific: What could the election mean for my trans kid, or my relative who lives in a state with limited reproductive rights?

Aleks, a Seattle-based therapist who also has a master's degree in political science, runs a private practice focused on political and climate anxiety. She began focusing on these areas in December after finding her own therapist couldn't always respond to current events or politics with the insight she would have liked.

"I know a lot of therapists for their own well-being who can't follow the news or engage with it, but it energizes me and I love it," Aleks said. "There's a lot that can be offered when your therapist is up to date on what's happening and you don't have to educate your therapist."

Maintaining family relationships is a common stressor. Clients ask her how they can interact at Thanksgiving or Christmas with relatives who see things so differently from them. (Most clients who come to her lean more progressive, she said; she thinks people self-screen based on how she promotes her practice.)

Caitlin Stanaway, a therapist at the University of Washington Counseling Center, hears similar concerns from students. Some tell her they're anxious because people close to them won't talk about the election or share their views.

"That can be an unsettling situation, especially with a partner or family member," Stanaway said. "For this person, it feels like there's a lot at stake for them in this election, and this other person isn't talking about it."

The election feels personal for Scarlett Riggs. A trans woman working in hospitality in Bellevue, she fears that LGBTQ+ rights will be targeted if Trump is elected. Ahead of the election, she copes by keeping up with local news and connecting with the LGBTQ+ community on social media chat groups.

"We find solace in talking with each other," she said. "It makes you feel like it isn't just you who's scared about what might happen. If anything does happen, we can spread [information] quickly."

She started learning French in case she decides to leave the country after the election, maybe to move to Canada or Europe, where she has friends.

"I want to stay here, but depending how this plays out, I might have to leave. For trans people like me, this is our reality," Riggs said. "There's a lot riding on this election."

What you can do

Mental health experts recommend a range of strategies to manage stress before the election. Research shows that accepting emotions around politics, rather than trying to change them, predicts better mental health, Ford said.

"This is different from accepting the situation — it's about sitting with your feelings, allowing them to happen, not judging them or evaluating them and trying to get rid of them," Ford said. "In moments of distress, when people let their feelings be and say 'This is a natural response to the situation I'm in,' emotions tend to pass more quickly and people tend to experience less overall negative emotion."

Connecting with others who care about similar issues can be helpful, Aleks said. She recommends finding ways to engage that feel productive: writing postcards to encourage people to register to vote, signing up to work phone banks or volunteering with local campaigns.

Jan Alkire has channeled her anxiety into running nonpartisan classes to help fellow residents in the Ida Culver House Broadview retirement community stay informed. The first class in August focused on how to use Washington's voter pamphlet. An upcoming class will focus on local initiatives and levies on the ballot.

"If everyone who cared deeply about America were to be an active voter, we would not have some of the problems we have," Alkire said. "I'm offering these classes to help people be informed voters, so they aren't just living in a silo."

Stanaway recommends setting limits on time spent ruminating about the election and being conscious of media consumption.

"I could spend all day every day reading the news, or I could spend zero amount of my day doing that," she said. "Gauge when you feel things being more unhealthy than healthy, notice when to set limits and put your phone in a different room or shut off the computer."

Finally, basic self-care is always helpful. For some people, that means setting a consistent morning routine and taking time to reflect with a cup of coffee, Ehle said. Others might find solace in a regular exercise routine, meditation or yoga.

It also helps to treat yourself with compassion. "I'm not responsible for how the elections go," Alkire said she tells herself. "I'm responsible for doing the best I can."