Both sides seem worried about violence after the election, and both sides are worried that it seems no one can get along anymore. Both sides seem to recall times when debate among citizens was safe and people could agree to disagree, and those on both sides seem so overwhelmed at the idea of the "other" candidate winning, that they can hardly do more than bury their heads in the sand until after the elections.
In the 2020 presidential election, despite it being a year when the voter turn-out was the highest it had been in 120 years, only 67% of the those who were eligible to vote, did so. This year the 2024 results of the American Psychiatric Association's annual mental health poll shows that 73% of Americans are particularly anxious about the US elections, and no wonder since even Newsweek was prompted to ask in one of its September articles, "Is this the closest presidential race in history?"
With a little over two weeks to go until the elections, it seems that with all of this anticipatory anxiety in the air, that stress levels are only going to get higher for many unless steps are taken to reduce anxiety and turn the volume down.
Anticipatory anxiety has all the classic symptoms of many other kinds of anxiety, including muscle tension, rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, etc. But it also carries with it a sense of doom and worry about possible bad outcomes, and these kinds of thoughts lead to additional tendencies to ruminate about a future event by means of our active imagination that keeps us focused on future possibilities, rather than on the present.
There is also a lot of uncertainty with anticipatory anxiety which can lead to prolonged stress that lasts until the expected event is finally here or over. So finding ways to periodically practice relaxation exercises is necessary to prevent your body and mind from running at a high idle for prolonged periods, which can lead to insomnia, distraction, and even physical illness.
One method of countering anticipatory anxiety is to imagine "positive what-ifs". This method pushes against the ruminating mind that can only think of bad outcomes. For the election this could be imagining that your candidate wins, but it can also mean imagining how you would cope in a positive way even if your candidate does not win. In other words it counters ideas that try to convince you that you "couldn't handle it" if the other side wins.
It's also important to not lose track of your daily relaxation routine. If you find you are forgetting to meditate, go for your mindful walk, take in that daily run, go for that swim, or are avoiding the hike you know brings you back to earth and keeps you centered, then give yourself a nudge to get back on track, especially now so close to the election.
Anticipatory anxiety is felt all the way up until the anticipated event finally happens, and then it disperses. With this in mind, do all you can to not let it take a toll on your body and mind in the interim. Know that you can handle the outcome no matter which way the wind blows.
"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it". ~Alfred Hitchcock
Thanks to Lisa Zins for the great photo
