People have mixed emotions about the results of the recent presidential election. Those whose candidate won are likely feeling hopeful while those whose candidate lost may be feeling anxiety about the future and even depression. Taking care of your mental health is important at any time, and this is no different.
The American Psychiatric Association reported in May that 43% of U.S. adults were feeling more anxious in 2024 than they did in 2023. It shared results of a survey, which found that 73% of U.S. adults who responded felt anxious about the upcoming election, and 53% said it was affecting their mental health.
Nia Howard, program and engagement leader with Burrell Behavioral Health’s Be Well Initiatives, said the election as well as the upcoming holiday season are causing increased stress levels for some. And when those levels build up, that can result in toxic stress.
“This is the time when people start feeling downtrodden and maybe even go into depression," she said. "Maybe we lose sleep and have headaches. Maybe we feel it in our body with aches and pains or stomach aches or digestive issues. Sometimes it looks like weight gain or even we're getting sick more often because even our immune system is affected. And it is just this amount of stress that we have on our shoulders.”
Social media can make things worse, so Howard suggests setting boundaries. She said there are screen- time-limiting apps that can be downloaded to your phone.
"And it would be able to tell them things like, I only want to check social media between this hour and this hour or...it would not allow that easy scrolling at a certain time, and I think that would be very helpful,” said Howard.
She also suggests being mindful about the way you take in news. Maybe it’s easier for you to listen to news rather than watch it on TV or read news stories instead.
If you feel like your to-do list is overwhelming, set goals, and focus on a couple of things at a time.
And take care of yourself.
“It might be just to drink that water that you know is healthy for you. Maybe it is to write yourself a little Post-it note with a positive message that you can always look back to," Howard said. "Maybe it's to reach out to a friend or, again, if we're going to use our phones, set a little bit of a timer for us to get up from our desk or at our house to walk around a little bit, to step outside.”
Spending time focusing on pets, if you have them, can help. For example, carve time out of your day to take your dog for a walk.
And if you’re really struggling, seek help. One way is to call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988, to be connected with resources in your area.
