‘It’s okay to be fair’: A Harvard psychologist talks about why anxiety about this election feels different

The 2024 election is upon us and anxiety levels are rising. Polls seem to be going back and forth, while campaign requests from both candidates are piling up. However, despite the worries, most of us have to go on with life as usual—show up at our jobs, show up for our families, all the while knowing that some of our friends and neighbors don’t share our political views. It doesn’t help, we don’t even know when we will get the results. (In 2020, it took five days for a clear result.) What should one do?

Fast company asked Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni, a psychiatrist at Miss General Brigham and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, for tips on how to deal with election anxiety. He notes that this election is very prominent in terms of raising concerns. Below is an excerpt of our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

What is anxiety? How is election anxiety similar or different?

In general, we define anxiety as persistent or severe anxiety that people experience that begins to affect their medical health and interfere with their functioning. Now, when it comes to election anxiety, it has to do with a clear starting point that has a specific effect on most people.

I would also say that election anxiety is different, too, because there is this powerful interaction with the media that we consume. If people consume too much media, or consume media that is full of contempt or emotion, they may experience some of those election anxieties.

What is your advice for dealing with anxiety in the days leading up to the election?

First, we are all in this together. We all feel it. There are some people out there who do well without thinking about it, but there are many people who are really affected by this. Opening up to like-minded people is one important strategy.

The second piece of this is doing something we call perspective taking, which is the idea of ​​digging down and understanding what your particular fear or concern is. You know, in this survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 77% of the people were very worried about the future of the country. People are also worried about the possibility of violence and the end of democracy. It’s important to dig down and really understand the full context or what a person’s fear may be for the individual in order to truly assess the threat.

The third episode tries to find a sense of self. There is a type of therapy called dialectical behavior therapy. A key concept within that is radical acceptance, which is the idea that while we can control the outside world, we can control ourselves. We can control how we react, and we can control how we adapt. This is a great time to think about the community, vote, and encourage people to vote.

Finally, it is very important to take a break from the media and take good care of ourselves and engage in some self-care. For some people, that might mean getting outside to enjoy the last of the beautiful autumn. It may mean taking a break during the work day just to take a break.

I want to circle back to number two. Some of the threats feel more imminent than in previous elections. In the latest Gen Z poll, Gen Z is split between candidates, but 77% agreed that the country is leading the country. wrong direction. Many people are afraid violenceothers are afraid of what will happen to the economy. Other groups have seen policies implemented that have their own impact health and well-being.

I want to emphasize the importance of this point because you are right to note that with this election, there will be an impact on important policies related to things like reproductive rights, the economy, climate change, and access to health care.

It’s okay to not be ready and call it.

On an individual level it’s about finding out what worries you, how true they are, thinking about what’s possible and having a plan. It may help to talk to others who may be in a similar situation, and find out what resources are available.

Sometimes, even when faced with a problem, it is important to set limits on how much you focus on that problem. There are aspects of this that we control.

My family has a plan, but there it is migration. That makes me very worried. Hydrating does nothing.

You’re not really you. I have heard similar thoughts from peers.

What happens if there is an election result you don’t want? How do you live with your colleagues and loved ones who may have voted the other way?

This is really hard. I want to acknowledge that point because people often make decisions about politics that are really personal to them, yet they feel that they are personal to all of us.

But in reality, all our relationships with people in the world are not based on election results. It is important that we remind ourselves of that. It may be useful to consider boundary setting. You can avoid getting involved with the topic in other settings because it can be too emotional.

Also, look for ways to bridge the gap and see if there are other things that unite us. Reconciling some of these differences is also important.

There is a lesson for all of us in that.