Health
Presidential election is making most Americans anxious, surveys say: Here are 6 tips to calm down
The imminent presidential election is having an impact on Americans’ mental health.
A recent national survey by AMFM, a residential mental health treatment system based in California, analyzed the anxiety levels of 2,000 Americans during an election year.
Nearly 22% of the respondents reported that election coverage was having a negative effect on their mental health.
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Navigating misinformation (57%) and “doom and gloom” messaging (56%) were identified as key stressors, as well as concern about the election’s aftermath (54%) and worry that their candidate of choice would not win (42%).
Overall, 30% of respondents reported increased anxiety related to the election, 22% said they felt overwhelmed and 18% experienced anger.
A young man watches the incoming election results on the giant screens of Times Square in November 2016. (David Cliff/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Almost 53% said they avoid election-related conversations to prevent anxiety.
More than 73% of respondents have not sought support for election-related anxiety – and don’t plan to, they said.
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AMFM concluded that it is crucial for individuals to “seek balance, limit their exposure to anxiety-inducing content, and consider seeking support when needed.”
Another survey by LifeStance Health – a mental health care network headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona – found that the presidential election is a “significant source of stress and anxiety” for Americans.
In one survey, respondents indicated that navigating misinformation (57%) and “doom and gloom” messaging (56%) were key stressors, as well as concern about the election’s aftermath (54%) and worry that the preferred candidate would not win (42%). (AP Images)
The survey, which polled over 1,000 Americans online in August 2024, found that 79% of people experience election anxiety.
Younger Americans are more likely to be affected, the results showed, including 64% of Gen Z and 54% of millennials.
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More than half (57%) of respondents said they think about the election daily, while 31% said they think about it multiple times a day.
Meanwhile, 44% of Gen Zers have postponed major milestones in their lives such as moving, going to college, getting married or having kids because of anxiety about the political climate.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents speak with therapists about politics and the election, the LifeStance survey found. (iStock)
This anxiety is also driven by friends and family, as 44% of respondents said political or election-related discussions have led to conflicts.
More than two-thirds (72%) of respondents said social media and other news coverage contribute to their election anxiety, while 34% admitted to unfollowing or blocking a friend or family member on social media due to their political views.
Alleviating election anxiety
Some mental health experts refer to political-related anxiety as “election stress disorder,” according to MK Clarkin, a licensed clinical social worker and executive clinical director at LifeStance Health in St. Louis, Missouri.
“People often report increased anxiety, depression, trouble focusing and more,” she told Fox News Digital. “Feeling a deep sense of losing control over personal lives understandably creates a sense of distress for many people.”
Voters make their selections at voting booths on Oct. 17, 2024, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
Experts shared a few coping methods to help keep your mental health in check through the election.
6 tips to calm down
1. Practice grounding techniques
Christina Kayanan, a licensed therapist in California and executive director of AMFM, suggested practicing grounding techniques, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 method, to help bring your focus away from worrying about the future and back to the present.
An expert encouraged building a self-care routine and practicing grounding techniques to reduce anxiety. (iStock)
“In this exercise, you acknowledge five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste,” she shared with Fox News Digital. “Grounding can disrupt anxious thought patterns and restore a sense of control.”
2. Build a self-care routine
Building a self-care routine, including mindfulness, meditation, exercise and deep breathing, can help calm the nervous system, according to Kayanan.
“A routine helps structure your day, giving you something predictable to rely on,” she said. “Even small, consistent habits, like journaling or taking short walks, can make a significant difference in managing anxiety.”
3. Challenge unhelpful thoughts
Unhelpful thoughts can include “all-or-nothing” thinking and catastrophizing a situation, which Kayanan noted can intensify anxiety.
People should edentify these thought patterns and challenge them with “evidence-based thinking,” the expert suggested.
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“Ask yourself, ‘What evidence do I have for this thought? Is there another way to look at this situation?’” she advised.
“By reframing anxious thoughts, you can reduce their emotional impact and regain a sense of balance.”
4. Limit caffeine and alcohol
Both substances can make anxiety symptoms worse by overstimulating the nervous system and impairing our “natural ability” to manage stress, according to Kayanan.
Alcohol and caffeine can make anxiety symptoms worse by overstimulating the nervous system, experts warn. (iStock)
Reducing these substances could help decrease physical anxiety symptoms and help maintain a “more balanced emotional state,” the expert said.
5. Set healthy boundaries
Kayanan promoted setting clear boundaries in relationships, work or social settings to reduce anxiety.
This might include saying no in certain situations, delegating tasks and setting limits on social media to prevent overstimulation and burnout.
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These boundaries can also apply to election-related content, which Clarkin advised people to “be selective” about.
“Don’t be afraid to set boundaries around your digital consumption — set a ‘screen time’ limit, mute or unfollow accounts that share harmful content, and fact-check sources,” she advised.
“Most people do not post political content with the intention of having their minds changed via dialogue,” one expert said about engaging in social media discussions. (iStock)
Clarkin also discouraged engaging in political discussions on social media.
“Most people do not post political content with the intention of having their minds changed via dialogue,” she said.
“So your energy is better spent on something else.”
6. Try progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a method that involves tensing and slowly relaxing different muscle groups “from your toes to your head,” Kayanan said.
The technique can help relieve physical tensions associated with anxiety, while increasing awareness of where you might be holding stress in your body.
“Practicing PMR can lead to greater relaxation and reduce overall anxiety levels by promoting a connection between body and mind,” she said.
Those who experience worsening anxiety or ongoing anxiety should reach out to a medical professional for help.
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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