This election season, Kent State Today will feature a series of stories about voting on campus, sharing information about how and where to vote, first-time student voters, important event dates and deadlines.
Jennifer Knott is a licensed therapist and certified prevention professional. She’s also the outreach coordinator for Kent State University's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Knott has spoken with students who are experiencing stress and anxiety about the coming election and what it could mean for them.
“It’s such a polarizing election,” she said. “Election-related stress will be different from one person to the next and the way that the consequences of the election might intersect with different people’s identities, experiences and values. That’s part of where this stress and anxiety is coming from.”
Knott said that one of the root causes of some of this stress is uncertainty. “As humans, it’s really hard for us to tolerate uncertainty and not be able to predict the outcome of situations,” she said. “So, we know that our students, and really others across the country, are experiencing, maybe, some additional emotions and wondering how to manage that stress.”
In a recent Kent State webinar, Kelly Schlather, clinical exercise physiologist and health coach at Be Well Solutions, said, "We are going to feel uncertain about lots of things but we can control how we react to them and now we respond to them. All of our stress triggers and how we find ways to manage them really does help us through difficult times."
Ways to Protect Your Mental Health
Knott wants to emphasize that it is normal to feel a full range of heightened emotions during this time. She said that the key is in managing how we respond to those feelings and how we communicate them. “It’s normal to have a lot of feelings about things that are meaningful to us,” Knott said. “People might be experiencing a range of emotions: fear, anger, sadness and maybe even hope and some positive emotions, and it is okay. Those emotions are valid.”
A helpful guide to Dealing with Election-Related Stress has been posted on the CAPS website. Knott shared some personal notes on the information contained on the web.
“One of the biggest tips, I would say, is making sure that people are spending time away from technology, social media, the news. Taking breaks and trying not to overconsume the messaging.”
“Trying to balance the some of the negative news stories they may be consuming with positive stories and seeking out stories that that elicit positive emotions as well. Feeling our feelings – that’s important.”
“Communicating boundaries: if things get too heated, then taking a step back and communicating respectfully.”
“Making sure we’re managing not just our mental health, but our physical health during this time. So, refueling physical activity, connecting with nature.
More Resources for Students
In addition to the CAPS guide, Kent State's Division of Student Life is creating space for connection and community after the election. Many of the division’s centers will host events and hold space for students to gather and connect. Find events at the Kent State Votes website.
Other mental health resources can be found on the Kent State Mental Health Resources and Support website.
Making Sure What You Consume Doesn’t Consume You
Personal reflection is key in evaluating how your media choices make you feel and what your threshold might be, Knott advised. “If they’re starting to feel really stirred up, especially when they are engaging with media, start with: ‘Okay, what’s fueling my emotions?’ ‘How do I feel when I’m engaging with this media?‘” she said. “If there’s something that they identify that is really stirring them up, [ask] ‘What’s within my control?‘ In that situation, [it is about] setting that boundary with yourself and taking a break from that.”
Making a Plan for Now and Post Election
Knott notes that it’s not just about Election Day. She said that there’s a ramping up period (now), the actual Election Day and afterward. The tips CAPS provides on their website will be useful and helpful both before and after Election Day and CAPS encourages people to use them because managing stress is an ongoing process.
“So, if we start practicing these things now, if we do get more heightened after the election, then we’ll actually have rehearsed some of those stress management tools and they will be more effective, then, afterward,” Knott said. “We have on our website a plan that people can use. They can fill that out and it has some reflection questions on it and some of them have to do with ‘What can I do before the election?’ and also ‘What’s my plan to manage afterward too?’” We encourage people to take a look at that and start planning now.
‘We’re Here to Pick Each Other Up’
The staff at CAPS fully supports the idea that Flashes Take Care of Flashes. “I want to make sure our students are okay,” Knott said. “I guess that’s my anxiety. It’s a stressful time because there’s a lot at stake. I know that we are a university community; we’re all here to support one another and were here to help one another. So, I guess as I say that, maybe I’m not as anxious because I know that we’re here to kind of pick each other up.”