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Tuesday's Health Report: Social media, political conversations can increase stress during election cycle
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BATON ROUGE — With local and federal elections quickly approaching, there are many opportunities to get stressed out by politics.
Some coping skills may be needed.
"As humans, we have a natural tendency to want to feel in control, and the elections can undermine that feeling of control. As a result, we need to focus on what we can control versus what we can't, whether that is your daily routine, exercise, self-care,” Dr. Susan Albers, a psychologist, said.
One of the number one ways people tend to stress themselves out during an election is by "catastrophizing." That's where you imagine the worst-case scenario.
Experts say it's important to stop those kinds of thoughts in their tracks and bring yourself back to the present moment. It's okay not to participate in political conversations with friends and family, especially if it makes you feel upset or isolated. The same goes for social media.
“Social media ads and blogs are often designed to trigger strong emotions and controversy. The more you scroll and comment, it's likely that this is going to trigger high levels of anxiety and stress. It's important to stay informed, but we also have to have good limits around how much media we consume on a daily basis,” Albers said.
If your stress starts to interfere with your daily life, you should consider speaking with a mental health professional.
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