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    • Election anxiety is real. Here’s how to manage stress throughout the day
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    Election anxiety is real. Here’s how to manage stress throughout the day

    Online Niel Posted on

    Choices can affect our mental health. Uncertainty about the outcome and the possibility of losing a preferred party or candidate can lead to increased anxiety and depression, research shows.

    Studies have documented an increase in stress hormones such as cortisol or testosterone and levels of poor mental health during past US elections.

    But there are ways to manage our short-term anxiety and build long-term resilience in the face of stressors, including elections.

    Find a moment of joy

    There is an antidote to an ever-stressful, busy and uncertain world. Try to find and enjoy small pieces of joy in your day, writes Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima. He calls them “joy” snacks. By paying close attention to the pleasurable, pleasurable, and sometimes routine experiences of each day, we can transform an otherwise mundane moment into something more meaningful and even joyful, he writes. Lunch with a colleague. Walking the dog. Text a friend. Watching a favorite show. Eating a favorite meal. I’m calling your mother. Just out. Research shows that finding and savoring these nuggets of joy can be a way to consistently cultivate a good, meaningful life, says Sima.

    Do these exercises for 2 minutes

    Engaging in lifestyle-oriented activities like exercise can break the constant noise of our stressed minds, allowing some space to consider a different way of being, writes psychiatrist Christopher WT Miller.

    Try turning your exercise into a snack, suggests fitness columnist Gretchen Reynolds. Research shows that exercise “snacks,” which consist of short bursts of effort spread throughout the day, can improve metabolic health, increase endurance, and prevent some of the unwanted changes in our muscles that otherwise occur when we sit for too long, she says.

    Reduce anxiety with this quick breath

    Just five minutes of breathing a day for about a month could improve mood and reduce anxiety — and these benefits may be greater than those of mindfulness meditation for the same amount of time, a study has found. Sima. Find out what practices work best for you, start small and build a routine and use it where and when you need it.

    Try this stretch

    During times of stress, we often feel like our heart is racing, our jaw clenched or our stomach churning—feelings that end up increasing our negative emotions, says clinical psychologist Jenny Taitz. Soon, it becomes a vicious cycle in which your body and thoughts magnify each other, she writes. Instead, try a technique known as the half smile, often used in dialectical behavior therapy, which improves people’s ability to accept and cope with suffering. Lift the upper corners of your lips slightly, which automatically releases tension from your brows, she says.

    Do this five minute meditation

    If you’re looking for a way to deal with anxiety, a simple five-sense meditation might help, says Samantha Snowden, a Headspace teacher in Los Angeles. The great thing about this meditation is that it’s easy to do on your own, no matter where you are. You just have to tune in to the sights, feels, sounds, smells, and tastes, she writes.

    Listen to birdsong to calm your brain

    Want to improve your mental health? Watch out for the birds, says Sima. Two studies published last year in Scientific Reports said seeing or hearing birds could be beneficial to our mental well-being. Research has consistently shown that more contact and interaction with nature is associated with better body and brain health. Birds appear to be a specific source of these healing benefits, he writes. They are almost everywhere and provide a way to connect with nature. And even if they are hidden in the trees or in the bush, we can still enjoy their songs.

    Put away annoying content at night

    Election stress affects health, especially for those whose views differ most from their state’s norms, writes sleep psychologist Lisa Strauss. It’s okay and natural to be worried. This is a turbulent and consequential time, she says. Validate your concerns, face your worries during the day, put away upsetting content at night, and adopt decent sleep habits to get the rest you need to ward off anxiety and depression.

    Online Niel
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