5 Strategies for Coping with Election Anxiety
With five days to go till the presidential election in the US, a lot of us are experiencing a lot of election anxiety right now. When stress levels are this high and your nervous system feels fried and depleted, two common reactions by our brains & bodies are:
1. Freeze mode, where our energy and focus are very low, and we find it hard to do our work or even regular everyday chores that are usually not difficult.
2. Hyperactive mode, where we have a lot of nervous energy to burn off and we do a lot of scattered activities until we exhaust ourselves.
And, sometimes those two things happen at the same time, with hyperactive mode kicking in when it comes to tasks that do not require a lot of focus (like a burst of energy to clean or cook), but freeze mode kicking in when it comes to activities that require more focus and attention, like writing a report, reading something, or preparing a presentation.
So, if you're currently feeling a lot of stress and tension in your body, and also have a hard time focusing and showing up in your work and life the way you usually do, how do you navigate that? I came up with 5 strategies to help you cope during this time:
Strategy #1. Do not blame yourself for feeling frozen or less productive right now
Imagine jogging 5 miles routinely, and knowing that you are able to do it for a certain amount of time. But then, one week, there are a series of snow storms where you live, and you suddenly need a lot more time to cover the same distance (if you even are able to make it out and jog in the first place). Is that because you are doing something wrong? Clearly not - the conditions in which you are doing the jogging have changed. You now have to brace against wind, you end up slipping on the ice, you are wearing extra layers of clothing, and your muscles are stiffer from the cold.
Well, think of your election stress as similar to that snow storm. Yes, you are trying to do the activities that you usually do, but you are doing them under different conditions, fighting against an overstimulated and exhausted nervous system. So, of course your pace is different and everything is harder!
If you're thinking "that's all well and good, but I still need to show up and do my work and I'm worried I can't" - no worries, that's where strategy #3 comes in. But before we get to that:
Strategy #2. Develop some grounding practices for yourself
Develop some grounding practices for yourself that can help regulate your nervous system (at least temporarily) and can make it easier to move through the remaining strategies below.
Grounding practices are very individual, so find what works for you. Some examples of such practices are: doing breathing or vagus nerve exercises, slow movement (like yoga or stretching), strength training, listening to a podcast or watching a fun show, reading, baking some cookies, making yourself a hot drink, making your home environment extra cozy.
Strategy #3. Apply triage to your schedule (and do your work with a lot less intensity than usual)
OK, this is where we get to the "how" part of showing up for your life and your work during this time. The short answer is - triage. Figure out what are the few essential things that absolutely need to get done in your work, and only focus on those. And change your definition of what a productive day is during this time. Can you call a productive day a day during which you accomplished the 1-2 absolutely essential tasks on your list?
Alongside triaging, what can be incredibly helpful right now is doing your work with less intensity than usual. You know these workout videos, where the main instructor is demonstrating the high-intensity version of the exercises, while someone in the background is showing the low-intensity version, where you still get to do the workout, but with less straining? What if you apply that to your work, and do the low-intensity version of each task. That can look like finding ways to simplify what you are doing, but it can also look like just dialing down the "I need to focus, I need to get this done efficiently, I need to keep going" energy in your body and brain.
Strategy #4. Focus on the parts of the election you can control
If you are a US citizen: please vote, talk to your friends and family about voting (even strangers, if that feels safe), and volunteer, if you are able to!
In addition to directly participating in the election, on the cognitive side of things, try to give at least some airtime in your thoughts to the possibility that things might turn out better than you fear. It is impossible to just ignore or shut down the thoughts that are centered on the worst case scenario. But it is possible to add to them and offer some airtime to the possibility that we might get a better case scenario too.
Strategy #5: Developing and leaning on your community
This is super important. Check in on the people close to you, talk to loved ones about your anxiety and help them with their own (or, just co-regulate together!)
Additionally - find organizations in your area that do the type of work you want to see done in the world, and contribute to their work with time or other resources.
Bonus Strategy #6: Get some support and book a free stress-relief session
I've opened up a number of 1-on-1 slots for stress relief sessions, during which I can coach you on your specific thoughts, feelings, and fear that are coming up right now. To book a spot, go to restovergrind.com/work-with-me.
