How New Yorkers Can Deal With ‘Election Anxiety’
A local mental health expert offered tips on you can deal with stress caused by the 2020 Presidential election.
Over two-thirds of U.S. adults, 68 percent, say that the 2020 U.S. presidential election is a significant source of stress in their life, according to a recent poll conducted by the American Psychological Association.
As if Friday morning, America still has no clear winner in the 2020 presidential election. Six states remain too close to call. Early Friday morning, Joe Biden surpassed President Donald Trump in Georgia by over 900 votes. The former Vice President also took a major cut into the President’s lead in Pennsylvania where there’s still over 160,000 absentee ballots to count. Trump has been able to cut into Biden's lead in Arizona, as more votes are counted in there.
Dr. Dawn Gonsalves is a psychiatry specialist in Dutchess County with 17 years of experience in the medical field, according to Health Grades. Dr. Gonsalves is the Behavioral Health Medical Director at MVP Health Care and provided Hudson Valley Post with the following tips to manage anxiety during the Presidental election.
1. Pace yourself throughout the days – Mentally pace yourself each day and tell yourself, “we may not get the results today and that’s okay.”
2. Limit your media and social exposure – People tend to constantly look at social media outlets or news sites for new updates. Instead of staying glued to your phone or TV, set time limits of your media consumption. You may also try turning off related notifications on your devices.
3. Get lots of sleep – Anxiety and stress can keep our mind racing throughout the night. Before going to bed, set a time to hop off all media and allow yourself to unwind prior to falling asleep.
4. Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake – Caffeine can cause you to have a restless night or feel jittery during the day, and alcohol tends to be used to numb anxiety and stress but can have the opposite effects. Ditch these beverages and replace them with water. When people are stressed, they tend to have increased perspiration levels. Your body will need more water to replenish your system.
5. Do things that bring you joy – Step outside, exercise, spend time with family or friends, listen to music or watch a light-hearted TV show or a movie. Often the best way to combat stress is by occupying your mind with other things to do.