Election season may be causing stress, anxiety: Here's how to cope

We're a week away from Election Day, and former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are making their final campaign pushes across the country.

As Americans consider which candidates to vote for, and which ballot initiatives to support, experts tell ABC News that election seasons often lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety and uncertainty.

A 2022 study from the University of Nevada, Reno, found that self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression rose significantly around the 2020 election compared to April 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Election stress and anxiety is very real, and so anyone that is feeling it should know that there are literally probably millions of other people that are that are also experiencing this right now," Dr. Kevin Antschel, a professor of psychology at Syracuse University, told ABC News.

What's behind election stress, anxiety

Experts said there are a few reasons why people may be feeling stress and anxiety, with one reason being the uncertainty associated with the election.

Dr. Judson Brewer, director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at the Brown University School of Public Health, said it's a basic survivor strategy that dates back thousands of years.

"If our ancient ancestors [heard] a rustling in the bushes, and they weren't sure what that sound was, and they didn't go and investigate, it could be a lion that was coming to have them for lunch, so that the process is really baked in," he told ABC News.

Brewer said the same way people's stomachs rumble for food when they are hungry, there's a similar process in the brain.

"Information is food for our brain just like a sandwich is food for our stomach," he said. "The basic underlying process is that our brains really don't like uncertainty. So, it's not about who's going to win. It's about the uncertainty of who might win."

People also may experience uncertainty because they are not sure what to believe about the candidates and their platforms due to misinformation and disinformation.

Dr. Jessica Borelli, a professor of psychological science at University of California, Irvine, added that people may feel uncertainty the election can result in changes in access to health care, reproductive rights, immigration-related rights, economic policy and climate change policy.

"There can be a lot of uncertainty related to one's future when there's a change in the government structure," she told ABC News. "It can cause a change in policy, many different policies that can directly affect people's livelihood."

Election-related stress and anxiety may also be caused by the inundation of political ads on social media or television and by being exposed to a 24/7 news cycle covering the election.

Coping strategies

To cope with election stress and anxiety, Antschel recommends that people first focus on things they do have control over in their everyday lives, which can provide a sense of accomplishment.

"If we know uncertainty is the poison here, then the antidote is certainty, and so what do we have control over?" he said.

Borelli said if people want to be politically active, they can focus on concrete tasks that they have control over, like helping get people registered to vote or participating in canvassing.

Another way to cope is to set boundaries around news consumption and social media use and take the time to form connections with others offline, experts said.

Brewer added that if people can identify their triggers, such hearing polarizing news, then people can focus on replacing the behavior with something more beneficial, whether it's limiting news consumption or becoming more politically active.

Additionally, the experts said it's important to practice self-care, including getting adequate sleep, eating healthy, getting plenty of physical activity and practicing mediation or mindfulness.