America Is Affected by Election Stress

Lately, more and more people are suffering from election stress which is affecting Americans. The coming elections are among the top news every day in the last few months. On October 13, the American Psychological Association (APA) has published research which proved that more than 50% of Americans consider elections to be among their daily sources of stress. This information was cumulated through the Stress in America Survey conducted by APA. This was an online poll meant to register the opinion of 3,511 American citizens.

This study is annually conducted by specialists to determine the levels of stress and how can it affect our health. Based on the data from the survey, both women and men are suffering from election stress these days. Considering the two parties, 59% of the Republicans have been anxious because of the coming elections, whereas 55% of the Democrats are feeling overwhelmed when thinking about the November elections.

This research has also revealed that the levels of stress are more increased for those who are older, displaying that 70-year-olds tend to complain much more about the election pressure, then the younger adults. Moreover, Americans who reported that they find polls as one of the causes of stress usually tend to be very stressed all the time, presenting an overall high level of anxiety.

Specialists from APA argue that they have provided US citizens with some advice considering the stress levels. To relax, they need to consider crossing social media accounts of their daily list. The survey showed that people who were regularly using social media sites tended to be more stressed than those who did not use it. Lynn Bufka, who is an associate executive director for practice research and policy at APA, argued that election stress is amplified by stories, videos, images, arguments and debates which are posted on social media sites, thus troubling every American’s peace and quiet.

Another manner which can help you avoid election stress is preventing discussing the elections or the candidates, especially if you believe that the discussion will quickly escalate into a conflict. A new way of seeing things more clearly, like positive thinking will also help you decrease the stress levels. Try to design a positive image of the things you care about.

Image source: flickr