Dealing with Election-Related Stress
Feeling anxious about the upcoming U.S. election? You’re not alone. As we anticipate the outcome of the 2024 election, many in our community are apprehensive, worried, and stressed about the potential impact and consequences. Use these tips to navigate your stress and emotions, protect your mental health, and maintain your well-being in the coming weeks and months.
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TIP #1: Unplug
It’s easy to get caught up in the 24-hour, non-stop availability of media. It’s important to stay connected and informed, AND it’s important to unplug and take some time away.
Take a digital break from your devices and spend time away from social media.
Unfollow or mute accounts that are distressing or anxiety-provoking.
Limit your consumption of news and other media.
Schedule brief periods of time to check the news in the morning or evening, rather than throughout the day.
More suggestions for protecting your mental health wITH social media.
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TIP #2: Be Present
With uncertainty around the outcome of the election, we can find ourselves trying to predict the future, imagining worst-case scenarios, or trying to control what’s happening. Staying in the present moment can help us interrupt our worries and better tolerate uncertainty.
· Focus on what you can control and let go of what is not controllable. With current events and sociopolitical issues, it’s normal and healthy to be feeling a lot of different emotions. Let yourself feel those feelings without judgment.
Practice mindfulness.
Attend Meditation Across Campus through the Kent State of Wellbeing.
Students can attend Living Mindfully with CAPS.
Check out the mindful meditations offered by UCLA Health’s Mindfulness Education Center.
Attend to what’s going on in your body and surroundings with grounding strategies. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique.
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TIP #3: Set Boundaries
Freedom of expression means that we all have the right to share our ideas, views, and opinions; and we must balance that with respect for others to practice their own freedom of expression. Sometimes that means engaging in those conversations and interactions, as difficult as they may be. And sometimes that means we need to set some limits and boundaries in order to take care of ourselves.
Check in with yourself and how you’re feeling so that you can decide what you are able to take on at any given time.
Expect difficult conversations and interactions. Freedom of expression means not everyone will agree. Try to adopt a stance of curiosity by asking yourself what you might learn from those with different viewpoints or values.
Implement effective communication. Use “I” statements and avoid labeling or generalizing.
It’s OK to set clear boundaries with others. “Let’s not talk about politics today.”
It’s OK to take a break from politics or conversations about politics. “I’m just going to step away for a bit” or “Can we talk about something else instead?”
Students can learn how to say ‘no’ and set limits by participating in Building Better Boundaries and Assertive Communication with CAPS.
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TIP #4: Refuel
It’s important to restore and refuel yourself to maintain your well-being, especially during times of stress.
Drink water, eat healthy, and get plenty of good sleep and rest.
Students can learn how to improve their sleep by participating in Sleep 101 with CAPS.
Watch your caffeine intake and limit your use of alcohol and other substances.
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TIP #5: Find Balance
Life comes with stress and challenges, and it’s important that we maintain balance in order to keep ourselves healthy.
Connect and spend time with supportive friends, family, and allies.
Remind yourself of the good in the world. Seek out positive news and stories.
Listen to music that lifts you up or gives you energy.
Students can attend Peace and Vibes Playlist with CAPS to learn how the power of music can influence our mood and feelings.
When feeling stressed, look for media that will bring about positive feelings. Watch a video that makes you laugh, a movie that makes you smile, or an episode that calms you by distracting you.
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TIP #6: Contribute
When things around us feel uncertain, frightening, or chaotic, it can be helpful to do something. Taking meaningful action, no matter how small, can help us to stay motivated, feel less hopeless, and tolerate uncertainty.
Volunteer for a cause or organization that is important to you.
Seek out volunteer opportunities through Kent or Volunteer Match.
Contribute to your community by becoming involved in local activism, local politics, or national politics. Advocacy can help us feel empowered.
Many student organizations engage in civic or political engagement. Search for one that fits for you.
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TIP #7: Feel Your Feelings
With current events and sociopolitical issues, it’s normal and healthy to be feeling a lot of different emotions, especially during periods of change and uncertainty. Let yourself feel those feelings without judgment.
- Exploring your thoughts, emotions, and experiences through journal writing can help you make sense of things.
- Students can attend Therapeutic Journaling with CAPS to learn strategies to practice journaling that promotes mental health and well-being
- Students can attend Stress Busters, a brief workshop with CAPS, to learn four simple tools to take the edge of stress and anxiety.
- Students can also attend Anxiety Toolbox, a multi-session workshop with CAPS to help you cope with life’s stresses.
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TIP #8: Stay Active
Move your body, stretch, go for a walk or bicycle ride, or any other form of physical activity you like.
- Get regular physical activity and exercise by visiting RecWell
- Get outside, be in nature, and enjoy the fresh air. Some local options include:
- The many parks in the city of Kent
- Even more parks in Portage County
- And even more options in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
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TIP #9: Do Something Fun or Enjoyable
Taking care of yourself involves engaging in enjoyment, fun, relaxation, and leisure.
- Listen to music, spend time with friends, get creative, watch something funny, read a book.
- Check out KSU Engage for upcoming events around campus
- Participate in campus events for leisure or related to a hobby
- Students can develop an individualized plan for self-care by attending Self-Care: Build Your Stress Survival Kit with CAPS
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TIP #10: Connect
Support is essential to our well-being. Connecting and spending time with the people, places, and things that bring us meaning can help us deal with stress, regulate our emotions, and even have a positive impact on our physical health.
- Spend time with supportive friends, family, allies, and pets.
- Connect with what brings you meaning – nature, spiritual practices, relationships, learning, or a sense of purpose.
- Reach out for support when you need to.
Want more suggestions for how to cope and manage stress?
Check out CAPS Self-Help Tools
CREATE A PLAN TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Taking care of yourself and managing stress is an ongoing process, and the impact of an election does not end once the outcome is determined. Take some time to create a plan to take care of yourself.
OTHER RESOURCES
Dialogue and Difference is an ongoing initiative that will engage the Kent State University community and advance our core values of freedom of expression, respect, and kindness in all that we do. This series of educational programs will feature diverse perspectives and aim to help us better understand each other.
Kent State Votes is a USG-affiliated, university-wide nonpartisan coalition with the goal of trying to get Kent State students more involved and informed when it comes to voting in local, state-wide and federal elections.