An inside out election: A guide to the new emotions you may feel during the 2024 race

July 21, 2024 Media-Press-Ent 3 Comments

USA TODAY

The 2024 election is seriously stressing Americans out. An attempted assassination, a fierce debate over the mental fitness of the president (who happens to have COVID-19) – and that’s just this month.

As the language in fundraising emails and the barrage of campaign phone calls and texts becomes increasingly urgent, both sides are framing this presidential contest as existential for the country. That’s not even factoring in the independent candidates encouraging voters to toss out either major party nominee.

It’s hard to deny that the temperature of American politics has grown almost unbearably high. Whether you’re a seasoned politico or not, the cacophony surrounding Trump v. Biden Round Two is hard to escape.

If that means more anxiety than usual, you’re not alone. The American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll, released in May, reported that 73% of Americans are feeling “particularly anxious” about the 2024 election.

In the spirit of Pixar’s summer blockbuster Inside Out 2, we’ve created a guide to help you navigate the new emotions you may feel this election season.

Election anxiety

Election-specific anxiety is on the rise, so if you get heart palpitations anytime you see a news notification, you’re in good company. A Yahoo News/YouGov survey conducted in May found that 60% of the 1,800 respondents reported feeling either “very” or “somewhat” anxious about the election.

“It’s similar to other kinds of anxiety in that there is a focused source of concern – the election – although that’s pretty broad,” Lynn Bufka, a clinical psychologist and the deputy chief of professional practice for the American Psychological Association says. Election anxiety is a bigger bucket, she explains, containing anything from stressors about the contest’s outcome to nerves generated by combative campaign rhetoric.

From the beginning of time, humans have had to develop a mental system that responds to threats, Bufka says. That’s the physiological basis for some of our election-related stress. “We’re trying to make sense both of what our bodies are doing and what’s out there in the world and that gives us this experience of feeling anxious,” she explains.

Expert tip: Try to get more comfortable with the unknown. “Learning to be more comfortable with uncertainty is a great skill to have,” Bufka says. She also advises getting involved with a campaign or social cause, which can alleviate anxiety by giving a sense of agency and making you feel you’re contributing or working towards a goal.

Hyper-partisanship

One nation, indivisible? Not so much. America has become increasingly partisan over the last few decades. Congressional gridlock and eroding political norms suggest the spirit of compromise in Washington is languishing. Throughout the nation, Americans divide themselves by political affiliation − both socially and geographically, even down to the neighborhood.

Through the lens of a fractured media environment and antagonistic campaign rhetoric, it can be hard not to feel genuine ire toward members of the other party.

There is long-standing research on the idea of “in-groups” and “out-groups,” Bufka says − we like the people who are like us, and we shun the ones who aren’t. “Hyperpartisanship has really amped up those differences,” she says, “it makes it easy to say they are not like me, therefore I don’t like them.”

In designating people with other viewpoints as the “other,” it’s easier to dehumanize and attack them which creates further division, Bufka points out. “Fundamentally what’s happening is that we are not seeing ways in which we might be similar,” she says.

A lofty idea in spirit, in the everyday, unpacking hyperpartisanship can be difficult, especially if another party’s platform feels like it poses significant risk to your safety or that of the country.

Expert tip: Try to remember any shared aims and goals you may have with people who disagree with you − like safety for your loved ones, or access to education, healthcare and jobs. This helps if you know some of these people.

“Trying to continue relationships with people that you might know have different points of view than you on things may help temper some of that distress about the others never having my own interest at heart,” Bufka says, acknowledging it is a challenge.

News-cycle exhaustion

Gone are the days of the morning paper and the 6 o’clock news. The advent of the smartphone has brought the 24-hour news cycle to our pockets and if hurricanes and wars weren’t enough, the contentious race between Biden and Trump only adds fuel to the fire.

You don’t have to be a news junkie to be feeling fatigued by the constant drip of poll numbers, op-eds, and push notifications. Bufka advises cutting the line. “Most of the time the news is not changing that radically that we need to be plugged in 24/7,” she says.

An onslaught of information combined with no possible way to address it all can make for a dangerous cocktail. Being over-informed won’t necessarily give you the tools you need to address the issues you care about, she warns.

“Recognizing that and making decisions about when, where, and how to get news updates becomes something within our control which is always a great way to help master some of our anxiety,” she advises.

Expert tip: Shut off the news for a bit. Reconnect with nature. Sometimes seeing the trees that survive for hundreds of years or the cycle of life that continues from season to season can help us zoom out, Bufka says.

Existential dread

A warming climate, a democracy at risk and a general public so distrustful of one another that either side feels a win by the other spells disaster − not a super cheery picture.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty – and many people are projecting pretty negative potential outcomes for whatever we’re facing,” Bufka says, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re red or blue or purple, your perspective is if things don’t go the way I think they’re gonna go it’s gonna be bad so I think there’s a lot of potential for dread on either side of it.”

Expert tip: Get involved. Volunteering for a cause you care about that is at risk during this election or encouraging neighbors to get out and vote can help give you back a sense of control. It can also foster social connections with like-minded people, an essential tool in easing anxiety.

“Social connection and support make a huge difference,” Bufka advises.

The bottom line

There’s nothing wrong with a little election-related stress, it’s probably an indicator you care − which is a good thing.

“We don’t want to get rid of our emotions, because our emotions can be a good indicator for helping us to act,” Bufka says. But when those emotions become unbearably loud, it can be hard to get anything done and your well-being can suffer.

As the last 100 days of the election cycle close in, be sure to take these tips to heart, and put taking care of yourself first.

3 thoughts on “An inside out election: A guide to the new emotions you may feel during the 2024 race”

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