How to face post-Election Day 2020 anxiety

The ongoing presidential election — a nail-biter — playing out in the midst of a growing partisan divide and a global pandemic may have people reeling from anxiety.

And in the Oklahoma City metro area, many residents continue to feel the effects of days-long power outages and widespread property damage from a recent ice storm.

It's not surprising that people may feel bombarded with stress, Charlotte Lankard, a licensed marriage and family therapist, said Thursday.

Lankard, a columnist for The Oklahoman, said national events like the contentious presidential election are just adding to the anxiety that some people already are experiencing due to problems they may be facing in their homes and communities.

“People are having difficulty in their lives right now, whether it be a relationship, small children or a teenager in trouble or it may be a cancer diagnosis or health issues. These people are feeling overwhelmed. And then we had the ice storm move in and I think people feel almost helpless. It's just that feeling of too much to deal with at one time,” Lankard said.

“So if you've got issues before this ever happened then they are bigger right now.”

Lankard said some people are able to place the election gridlock in its proper perspective.

“A few people I see are able to say this is not a disaster, it is just very inconvenient,” she said.

Not everyone has arrived at that perspective, she said, but everyone is contending with a level of uncertainty.

“Regardless of how you voted in the election, regardless of how it comes out, I think we all have some fear about what happens next. It doesn't matter which one gets elected — it doesn't matter because the country is so obviously divided and if we don't find a way to come together, we're in for a lot of tension and fear going forward.”

Lankard said there are ways to cope with uncertainty, fear and, perhaps, anger surrounding the election drama.

• Find safe people to talk with, whether it's a virtual support group or a professional counselor or therapist. Turn to the creative arts like poetry, journaling or some sort of art work, such as painting.

“Find a way to get the feelings out of you — verbally, creatively,” she said.

• Some people might find a remedy in physical exercise.

“Some people will exercise harder just so their bodies can finally relax. We just have to manage the feelings that we're overwhelmed with,” Lankard said.

• She said another challenge that may add to people's anxiety is how they will celebrate the coming Thanksgiving holiday in the midst of surging COVID-19 cases. Lankard recommended that people face this dilemma head on by being realistic about what needs to happen for their families to be healthy and safe.

“It's going to be different this year — we may not be getting together. I suggest that people plan ahead for the holidays and start out with worst-case scenario and then, how do we want to do it. I think if we start out trying to do it like we've always done it, a big part of us is going to be disappointed,” she said.

Meanwhile, Anne K. Jacobs, Ph. D., a metroarea licensed clinical child psychologist, said some of her teen and young adult clients have expressed some anxiety related to the election.

“My families have been coping with life during a pandemic, adjusting to online school, and power outages after the ice storms. Waiting for election results and concerns that the results may not favor your candidate just add to the growing feeling of uncertainty and loss of control that has been the hallmark of 2020,” she said.

Like Lankard, Jacobs said there are different ways people may cope during these challenging times, especially when pandemic-related isolation is an issue.

• “Getting outside and exercising are two of the most powerful ways to cope with worry and change our mood. Reaching out to loved ones and spending time with pets can help us calm ourselves when stressed,” she said. “During this time of COVID, when it is easy to feel isolated, it can be helpful to dedicate some time to meaningful activities. It is important for us to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves whether that be spiritual practices, volunteer work or contributing time or money to a cause.”

• Jacobs said parents are the protective shield for their children so they need to help them deal with stress from the current confluence of stressinducing occurrences.

“We need to have some time where we focus on positive things in our kids' lives instead of obsessing over the election. For teens, we need to be mindful that we are modeling good coping skills; teens will not listen to our advice if we are behaving in hypocritical ways,” she said.

“Parents can also help our kids and teens by putting current events in the context of a larger timeline. Letting young people know that we have survived other difficult elections (such as 2000) and reminding them that regardless of who wins, they still have to do their homework, helps young people put things in perspective.”

Social media help or hurt?

When Election Day on Tuesday came and went without a winner determined in the race to the White House, Americans took to Facebook and Twitter to talk about it.

An onslaught of election-related posts deluged social media platforms on Thursday.

On Twitter, the hashtags #ElectionResults2020, #CountEveryLegalVote #STOPTHECOUNT, # All Votes Matter were trending, along with separate hashtags featuring the electoral vote count for each presidential candidate.

“So are we getting a president today or no,” one woman tweeted.

Another individual hinted feeling more than a little out of sorts.

“Anyone else feeling like they've lived a whole life in the last 24 hours?” she said in a tweet.

Lankard offered straight-forward advice on what to do if social media is causing you anxiety.

“Delete it,” she said. “I'm sure there's a lot on there that's not helpful. Be aware of that and don't feed it.”

Jacobs said much the same thing.

“Social media can be a wonderful source of support, especially while we are physically distancing. It can also negatively affect our mood and add to our anxiety,” she said.

“It's important to help young people take breaks and notice how their mood is being affected by the way they use social media and what they are seeing.

“If we are noticing that social media is just helping us marinate in bad feelings and a sense of helplessness, it's time to take a break.”

Jacobs said parents should create a “buffer zone” for youths around bedtime — and they might try to do the same for themselves.

“We all need winddown routines to help us let go of the stress of the day.

“When worries build up, it can help to do a `brain dump' where you take five minutes or so write down your worries. Anxiety grows when it bounces around in our heads. Putting it down on paper can help us feel less reactive and put worries in their place.”