The Voter’s (Survival) Guide
Election stress is leading in polls. Here’s how you can defeat it.
One thing a majority of Americans agree on — 69% to be exact — is that the election is stressing them out. That’s according to a poll by the American Psychological Association (APA). The poll, released last week, was conducted back in August, so we can assume the collective stress level has only risen since.
Presidential elections always induce stress. But this time is different. I feel it. You feel it. The APA poll reveals it:
- 72% worry the election results could lead to violence.
- 56% believe the election could be the end of US democracy.
- 32% said the political climate has caused strain with family members.
“There’s something distinctive about the way politics is stressing us out,” says Jayme Renfro, PhD, an associate professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa. “Political anxiety is a thing that is separate from, or at least a distinct part of, stress and anxiety in general.”
It’s the kind of stress that not only keeps us up at night — which becomes a source of stress all by itself — but keeps us away from our neighbors and even makes people think about moving to another country.
