How to stay calm and carry on
Focus on self-care when somuch is out of your hands
Elizabeth Walthall feels lucky to have Tuesday off from her job as a high school teacher, but she wishes she had work as a distraction from the anxiety-inducing national noise.
She voted early, so she plans to hang out with a co-worker outdoors and bake — anything to keep her eyes off her phone and away from Election Day coverage.
Walthall hasn’t decided whether she will watch the voting tallies live or completely unplug in the evening. She feels she should be ready so she can be prepared for Wednesday with her students.
“I have been thinking about school for Wednesday. What do I do? Plan a lesson, keep it moving for a sense of normalcy?” Walthall asked. “Or should I have a backup plan, in case emotions are high? I want to give the students an out
let.
Walthall isn’t the only Houstonian feeling a great sense of unease this Election Day. Dr. Jon Stevens, chief of outpatient services and psychiatrist at the Menninger Clinic, describes his patients as anxious, stressed and depressed regardless of party affiliation.
“A lot of people are still feeling isolated, uncertain or dislocated related to COVID-19, but it’s now a more complicated situation,” Stevens said. “Constant exposure to various political upheavals, tragedies and candidates who use really strong language … people worry there won’t be a democracy to wake up to (on Wednesday).”
One of Stevens’ patients has coined this “political anxiety disorder.” It’s not a clinical term, but Stevens gets the meaning.
“It’s a feeling that nomatter the outcome, it’s the end of all times,” Stevens said. “But there have been other very partisan elections before, and there will be more in the future.”
Local mental health experts recommend maintaining focus on your personal situation rather than worrying about the country as a whole.
That’s nearly impossible for Walthall, a high school teacher in Spring Branch ISD who teaches AP statistics and “Seminar,” a college and career prep class. A majority of her students identify as part of the Latinx population; many are immigrants.
The election is personal to these students, Walthall said. Though many aren’t old enough to vote, they know their futures can drastically change depending on who wins the presidency. When her students are feeling stress and anxiety, Walthall empathizes but attempts to remain nonpartisan.
“I have towalk that linewhere I want my students to feel supported for valid reasons without creating an environment that would be considered offensive to others,” Walthall said. “I don’t really have the luxury of grieving if the results don’t go the way I want. I have to be strong for my students, so I don’t even get toprocess it before I have to lead the processing of it for a group of young adults.”
Dr. Teandra Gordon, vice president of school-based health at Legacy Community Health and a marriage and family therapist, said people who have been in a long-term state of anxiety may be
lieve thatTuesday night will be the conclusion to this season of mental and emotional unrest.
It is important to remember that a winner may be not be declared Tuesday, Gordon said; the electoral process could continue for days following Nov. 3, so that every vote cast will be counted toward the decision.
Before going to sleep on Election Day, prepare your mind for the possibility ofnot knowingwho will win, Gordon said. Prepare for the possibility of lost ballot boxes, technical difficulties and close vote margins.
People must recognize what is within their control and accept what is not, she added. Also, avoid catastrophizing, or assuming the worst will happen.
“In this election, you can vote — that’s how you express yourself and the control youhave in thissituation,” Gordon said. “The results are outside of your control, andno amount of stress and worry will change that. To help youmaintain a more balanced perspective,
know that the country has been through difficult times before and come back from it.”
There are ways to calm the mind, and it starts with disconnection fromtechnology and ends with connection to other people.
Being tethered to near-constant election updates has resulted in many people being unable to focus on anything else, Stevens said.
“They’re constantly focused on the election — through Facebook, Twitter, 24-hour news channels or
wherever they’re getting their news— so they’re neglecting other things,” Stevens said. “But they feel they may miss out if they pull from the election coverage for a few minutes. So they fall behind on basic life care, whether that is sleep, healthy diet, exercise or anything that provides respite or distraction from the election.”
It is possible that people who follow news feeds constantly are looking for evidence they made the right decision, Stevens said.
But often, they stumble upon more partisan and hostile remarks, likename-calling or the demonization of the other side.
Rather than read another thinkpiece on the election, Stevens recommends taking problem-solving action steps.
Self-care is about boundaries, Gordon said.
If you know you will be triggered by opposing opinions, Gordon advises against scrolling through social media on Election Day; instead, she recommends intentionally scheduling activities.
Take a walk, go for a run, call a good friend and talk about anything other than politics or COVID-19. If you like to cook, practice a new recipe for Thanksgiving or bake something indulgent.
“Be intentional about doing something that brings you joy, calm and peace,” Gordon said. “Because the external parts are things you can’t control. You can control your own self-care.”