2 Pittsburgh-area psychologists offer ways to manage post-Election Day stress, anger, and anxiety
As the impact of Tuesday's election settles in, emotions are bound to rise, and there is a lot at stake in how we handle those emotions.
Whether your preferred candidate won or lost, we seem to take these elections to heart more than ever before.
In each election, there are always winners and losers on the ballot, but the same can be said in our everyday lives, so it's important to temper your reaction.
"You risk alienating a family member [or] a friend," said Dr. Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. "We don't know how people around us are feeling, and elections can touch these deep feelings: complex feelings of fear, anxiety, disappointment, relief, or a combination of all of them."
Dr. Albers and Dr. Rueben Brock said to gauge your reactions against the value of the relationship.
"Your brother, your sister, your parents, your uncle- theoretically, you've got them forever, right? So, you want to remember that a lot of these relationships really should be more important than who you chose to vote for in some election," said Dr. Brock.
The reactions can be more than psychological, according to Dr. Albers. She said that studies have shown that up to five days after an election, there is an increase in emergency room visits and heart attacks, which shows how stressed people can be during election time.
The doctors said that social media has fanned the flames of election stress.
"I think it becomes a gloves-off situation when people started to really profess their political views on social media," said Dr. Brock.
Dr. Albers said it's important to take a break from the screens and relax.
"The results will be the same tomorrow, but you'll be different if you get a good night's sleep," she said. "This is going to help you in the morning to be more resilient."
The doctors said that there's no place for gloating, and that anger is counterproductive. The healing of the divide in the country begins with each of us.
"Be curious, not critical of other people's beliefs," Dr. Albers said.
