“Political Burnout” is Real — Here’s How to Heal
Regaining your sense of self beyond political stress
The United States has just been through what many of its residents (and much of the world) considered a very contentious national election.
Regardless of which candidate won, it’s clear that large segments of the U.S. population are suffering from “political burnout” (and, quite possibly, election post-traumatic stress as well).
The election is over. The process of recovering from political burnout and maintaining your own equilibrium, however, may be just beginning.
What is political burnout?
The phenomenon of political burnout is not new. Previous U.S. elections in 2020 and 2016 also caused stress among American voters and non-voters alike. Likewise, the use of extreme negativity in political ads and discourse has been present in U.S. and world politics for decades.
Another term that’s been created to describe political stress is “election stress disorder,” but to me the problem seems less about specific elections than it does the overall tone of our political discourse worldwide.
Burnout is generally understood to be the feeling that our “emotional energy stores are depleted.” Although we’re more used to…
