Majority of Americans are stressed by the election, survey finds. Here’s how to cope.
If the upcoming presidential election is stressing you out, you’re not alone. More than 69% of American adults feel the same, according to a new survey from the American Psychological Association.
The survey, conducted online in August by The Harris Poll on behalf of the APA, included more than 3,300 adults aged 18 or older who reside in the U.S.
Other top stressors included the future of the nation, which is weighing on 77% of adults surveyed.
California resident Andrew Peyton told CBS News he’s feeling the stress.
“It doesn’t help to have your phone buzzing with headlines and stuff. There’s always kind of like a background radiation of stress happening,” he said.
Vanessa Apkenas, another California resident, said her stress “trickles down from the political landscape of the last several years.”
Compared with the previous two U.S. presidential elections, stress levels in this survey were similar to the 2020 election, but significantly higher than in 2016.
“What sets the 2024 poll apart from previous APA election surveys is the collective stress about the potential fallout from the election results,” a news release for the survey noted.
“Over 70% of people are concerned about election violence or violence coming out of the election,” APA CEO Arthur C. Evans told CBS News. “And over half saying that they’re concerned that this election could mean the end of democracy. And what’s striking about that is that both Democrats and Republicans are not that different on those two issues.”
Despite the stress, more than 60% of adults surveyed are feeling hopeful about changes the election will bring.
If you’re not feeling positive, experts say there are ways to cope.
“For election-related stress, being engaged in the political process is an important way to manage our stress,” Evans said. “Limiting the amount of information that you’re taking in, particularly when you’re tired, is also another very important coping strategy.”
Psychiatrist Dr. Sue Varma recently told CBS News she suggests setting a timer on social media apps to limit doomscrolling and setting boundaries on phone notifications.
“It’s really important to have and carve out sacred spaces throughout your day where you don’t have constant notifications,” she said. “(For) a lot of people — when you’re having conversations, you’re at the dinner table — that the phone is constantly telling you, moment by moment, what’s happening in the news, and that’s really hard to pay attention, to be productive, to be able to connect with family members.”
Focusing on what you can control can also help, psychologist Dr. Susan Albers of the Cleveland Clinic previously told CBS Pittsburgh.
“We have a natural tendency to want to feel in control and the elections can undermine that feeling of control,” she said. “We need to focus on what we can control versus what we can’t, whether that is your daily routine, exercise, and self-care.”
