If just thinking about the upcoming presidential election makes you start to sweat and gets your heart racing, you certainly aren't alone.
More than 40% of Americans report feeling "depressed and/or anxious" around the election season, according to a special edition of the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor from Myriad Genetics, a genetic testing and precision medicine company.
"The results of the Special Election Survey show that politics and elections tend to trouble our nation's mental wellbeing," Thomas Valente, a psychiatrist from Leesburg, Florida, said in a statement. "My patients, especially those with significant mental illness, all worry as to how the election will affect them."
The survey revealed that nearly four in ten Americans (38%) say that news and social media around the upcoming election is making them more anxious than usual as well as that approximately the same number (35%) already feel "checked out" by the overwhelming amount of news and social media attention.
Another poll from the American Psychiatric Association shows nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents said they're feeling anxious about the election. Additionally, the poll shows 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022.
"Living in a world of constant news of global and local turmoil, some anxiety is natural and expected," APA President Petros Levounis said in a statement. "But what stands out here is that Americans are reporting more anxious feelings than in past years. This increase may be due to the unprecedented exposure that we have to everything that happens in the world around us, or to an increased awareness and reporting of anxiety. Either way, if people have these feelings, they are not alone, and they can seek help."
If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, unable to relax the tension in your shoulders, or even having stomach discomfort, you're not imagining things: you might be experiencing a real phenomenon known as election stress disorder. While not an official diagnosis, it is a condition of overwhelming anxiety that can manifest in a number of ways, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It's not all doom and gloom. Although politics remain a significant source of stress and anxiety for many, there are ways to engage that can actually help improve your mental health, according to Mindpath Health.
1. Unplug from constant election coverage. Step away from the constant 24-hour news cycle any time you feel the need to protect your mental wellbeing.
2. Avoid dwelling on the things you cannot control. Trying to control the uncontrollable is a recipe for anxiety; stay grounded in what you have control over.
3. Engage socially and civically. Engaging in your community on a civic level can help you feel connected and grounded this election season.
4. Stay non-judgmental about yourself and your feelings. Hold compassion for yourself, whatever emotions you experience.
5. Vote. Some researchers hypothesize that voting can help people with mental illness feel less excluded from society and empowered.