Suffering from Post-Election Stress Syndrome? The Impact on your Health and Well-being  

Political anxiety is a source of chronic stress that has a negative impact on the mental and physical health in our society. It topped the list of stressors in the 2024 “Stress in America” survey conducted by the American Psychological Association.

This heightened stress isn't just imaginary: our brains are wired to focus on threats rather than positive outcomes, a survival mechanism known as “negativity bias”.

Are you currently experiencing extreme fatigue? Whatever your political views, in the aftermath of an election you may feel tired, perhaps emotionally bruised, and overwhelmed with emotions varying from pride and optimism to disappointment, frustration and even fear.

Perhaps you're suffering from post-election stress syndrome? That feeling of powerlessness you experience at election time stems from uncertainty and our brain's aversion to dealing with it.

Post-election stress syndrome (PESS)

The post-election stress syndrome is a cyclic occurrence that returns every 4 years. Just like the flu, its degree of virulence can vary from episode to episode. This year's outbreak appears to be more intense than in previous years (2020 and 2016).

You are not alone. It affects everyone, regardless of beliefs or positions on the political spectrum. A majority of Americans were stressed before the election and now, after the vote, emotions are still running high for many across the country.

The APA's 2024 “Stress in America” survey revealed that 77% of adults believe that the country's future is a major source of stress in their lives. For 32%, the political climate has created tensions with loved ones, while 30% say that they limit family time because they don't share the same values. The workplace has also become an emotional pressure cooker since the election results. Almost 40% of those surveyed said election tensions had affected their productivity and morale.

Physical symptoms and behavioral changes during PESS

Symptoms vary from person to person, but often include a combination of emotional (worry, tension, irritability) and physical (headaches, insomnia, gastric problems) reactions. Excess stress has been associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, heart disease and high blood pressure.

The brain's response to uncertainty – we fixate on negative news

Our brains evolved to prioritize safety and predictability. In prehistoric times, heightened vigilance against threats such as predators was essential for survival. Whenever our brain perceives a threat to its equilibrium, it triggers the stress response by activating the fight-or-flight reaction. While this reaction can be useful in the face of physical danger, it is detrimental when dealing with the interminable nature of election cycles, which often results in an excessive focus on bad news. Our brain struggles to differentiate between immediate physical threats and more abstract ones, such as electoral uncertainty.

News coverage of elections, with its constant stream of conflicting issues and heated debates, reinforces our sense of uncertainty, pushing our brains towards the negative, preventing them from perceiving any positive news.

Our pathological tendency to focus on negative information, plays a significant role in PESS anxiety.

Confirmation bias exacerbates our anxiety

In addition to negativity bias, confirmation bias - the tendency to seek out information that supports our pre-existing beliefs - further intensifies election anxiety. When we’re already anxious about a particular candidate or outcome, we subconsciously seek out news that amplifies those fears. This creates a feedback loop in which we continually find evidence to justify our worries.

Our brains crave certainty, and confirmation bias is our brain’s way of making sense of uncertainty. However, this only deepens the cycle of fear and anxiety, leaving us feeling even more stressed as the election period drags on.

Strategies for managing PESS

Here are a few strategies that can help: 1) Limit news consumption, 2) Focus on what you can control, 3) Practice self-care, 4) Stay connected to supportive communities.

Final thoughts

Thoughts of “How could this happen?” are likely to be widespread, exactly as they would have been regardless of the outcome.

These strong emotions speak to the high stakes involved in what was called one of the most significant elections in U.S. history - at a time when people are contemplating the implications of the results on their values, their communities and their hopes for the future.

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