Election Anxiety: Fear for the Future of America
Do you have anxiety, fear of the future? Has politics got you spinning? Is the severely fractured divide in our country stressful for you?
Most people I talk to say that to some degree, they worry about our country, the direction it is headed in and fear over possible disaster that always appears to be looming.
The future of America won’t be solved on social media
If you look at any social media site, you will find people arguing back and forth, mostly democrats and republicans, though there are a few other parties that chime in also. They attack, call names, discount anything that doesn’t fit into their narrative, and spend lots of time replying to posts.
And guess how many minds they change. While I don’t have actual statistics on this, I’m gonna go with 0.
I think that 0 people change their mind after reading an Instagram post where one side defends their candidate or slams the opposing candidate. And yet these endless arguments just keep happening.
Think about it—have you ever tried to explain to someone with differing views why you disagree, and succeed in convincing them that they are wrong or misinformed?
After one of these encounters, has anyone ever said, “Gee, you know, I hadn’t thought about it like that before. I think I might have to vote a different way come November or change my party affiliation?”
Yeah, no, it doesn’t happen.
Anxiety, fear of the future—both cause people to create echo chambers
Because people tend to create an echo chamber of their beliefs so that what they believe is continually confirmed and that loop continues. There are no real “facts” anymore-just opinions.
Something happens, and the TV talking heads start their spin, and then it becomes about how that side spins the story, not the actual thing that happened. I blame 24-hour cable news’ need to fill air time for keeping people scared and angry so they’ll tune in.
But I digress. Election anxiety is real. Fear about our country and the us vs. them divide is real.
But watching the news for six hours a day will absolutely not help. If you find that the news stresses you out, I give you permission to limit your exposure. Set a timer, read or watch the news for let’s say 15–20 minutes. Then stop, and go do something pleasant.
Manage your anxiety and fear for the future of America
Pet an animal or go take a walk. There’s not much more for you to learn, all you’ll hear is the same stuff repeated ad nauseam with a whole lot of people giving a whole lot of opinions. And nobody’s mind is changing.
Despite all the challenges our country is facing, you don’t have to live in fear!
If you’re struggling to manage your anxiety symptoms, or just need someone to talk to, I’m here for you! Reach out today and let’s see if we can get you to a place closer to Zen-or at least less terrified!
Reach out today
XO
Alyse
