Are political discussions, commercials, debates, and social media posts stressing you out? If you answered yes, you are not alone. Nearly 60 percent of Americans report that the current political climate is a major source of stress for them (American Psychological Association, 2017). While staying up-to-date on political topics is important for every United States citizen, it does not have to lead to distressing symptoms; friendships do not have to be ruined and families can stay intact. Just follow these simple strategies:
Practice kindness: Regardless of your political position, always be kind to others. Don’t use bullying tactics to get your point across. Remember that you have an opinion that others do not agree with, so give others the same respect you want.
Control what you can and let go of what you can’t: Let’s face it, there is just so much control we have in political events. We can vote. We can research candidates and proposed bills. We can advocate to legislators and write our representatives. When you find yourself stressing out about the latest political media coverage, STOP, think about what you can control. Is the social media post you are about to make really going to make a difference? Are you wasting time trying to convince people that your opinion is right? Why are you wasting time on things that you have no control over?
Establish boundaries:These boundaries may be to limit the negative emotional reactions you have to politics. These boundaries may be to limit politics from saturating your life through social media and television. Boundaries may need to be set with social media friends or coworkers. You have a right to set boundaries that will protect you from the stress you feel when hearing about politics. I know at work I had to set limits about political talk. I kindly asked my coworkers to keep me out of their political conversations. This simple request helped me to avoid hearing about politics at work. It is important to decide how much you want to hear about politics and what sources you want to get the information from and then make the changes necessary to uphold those set boundaries.
Ask yourself why you are so emotional: Do you find yourself getting emotional (angry, sad, frustrated, hateful, spiteful, resentful) when reading a political post on social media? Ask yourself why you are feeling angry, for example. Why are you so invested? Has it become an automatic response. Them against us mentality? If so, that is a problem. When you impulsively write a reply are you backing this reply with evidence or are you backing it with raging emotion? When you consider your evidence, where did you get the evidence? Were you there? Did you read from a valid and reliable source? Are you just passing on information you heard?
Live by the Four Agreements: Be impeccable with your word. To do this, be honest and don’t use your words to be right, use them to bring love and care to others. Don’t take anything personally. When others are hateful toward you, it is about them, not you. Know your worth and move on. This can be useful when those political posts feel personal. Let it go! Don’t make assumptions. If you need clarity, ask. Communicate with others clearly to avoid misunderstandings. Again, be careful where you invest your time. Always do your best.This concept is important to remember in that moment you want to argue with someone over an issue you have no control over. Do your best to be the best person you can be to yourself and to others.
This current political climate isn’t going away right now. You are not going to change someone else’s strongly held opinion. Be kind in all you do. Control what you can and let go of the rest. Establish boundaries, limit your social media activity and political discussions. Get to the root of your emotions. Finally, live by the Four Agreements. Political talk is not worth the impact it can have on your mental health!
American Psychological Association. (2017). Many Americans stressed about future of our nation, new APA Stress in America survey reveals. Retrieved from www.apa.org
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