PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When Dr. Allen Miller sat down to watch football last weekend, he noticed something different.
“I swear I saw as much negative campaigning as I did football during those hours,” said Miller, the executive director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
Living in a swing state has brought Pennsylvanians an outsized share of attention this campaign season. The state gets frequent visits from celebrities trying to woo voters — not to mention the president, the vice president and the former president of the United States. But it has a definite downside: all of the negative political ads.
Miller said the drumbeat of negative ads is affecting people’s psyches.
“There’s just no question about the emotional impact,” he said. “People feel depressed, they feel anxious, they feel fearful. … People are talking quite openly about the impact, the stress, the campaign is having on them.”
The ads can cause what are known as thought distortions — believing something that’s not true. However, you can have a cognitive shift by seeking more information to draw your own conclusions.
Miller offered advice that he might give in therapy: Limit your exposure as much as you can, and take a break from places where the ads run. Be mindful about cheering yourself up, too.
“One of my favorite expressions is go out and play,” he said.
Other self-care techniques, such as meditation and exercise, are important, he noted — as well as taking control of what you can.
“Make a decision to vote,” he stressed. “Knowing that you’ve gone in and given it your best effort is a really powerful message that you give to yourself.”
Taking care of your health will have at least as big an impact on your life as the election. And remember, Miller said: Nov. 6 will come. There will be new issues to deal with, but at least the ads will stop.