This election may be the most significant one during your life so far. The stakes are high, and on top of it all, we’re still experiencing the consequences of the pandemic. If you’re feeling consumed by anxiety, you’re not alone. Nearly 70% of surveyed Americans are stressing about it too.
But the extra anxiety can weigh a little heavier on you if you’re in eating disorder recovery. Anxiety disorders like obsessive compulsive disorder commonly co-occur with eating disorders. Disordered behaviors can help you cope with anxiousness, so you might binge to numb the difficult feelings or restrict to regain some sense of control.
A lot of Americans might find themselves stress-eating in front of the news, but this election anxiety doesn’t have to derail your recovery.
If you’re worried election anxiety might trigger your eating disorder behaviors, here’s what you can do:
Don’t look at the news
Turn off the TV, stay off Twitter and Facebook, and don’t search for updates on the polls! Whatever happens will happen whether you are finding out in real-time or not.
Don’t engage in conversations that cause stress
You can care about our country and still refrain from ruminating over the worst-case scenario.
If you know your group chat is going to blow up with political discourse, mute it. If a friend is frantically texting you throughout the night, politely redirect the conversation or simply offer reassurance without feeding into their worries.
If there are political disagreements in your household, protect your mental wellbeing and stay out of heated conversations.
On the flip side, positive support and connections are essential for your mental health, so make time for interactions that make you feel better.
Meditate
Anxiety is connected to our oxygen levels, so focusing on your breathing can help relieve any physical symptoms you might be experiencing. Here are some guided meditations made for anxiety
Pick an alternative election night activity
Plan a movie night or a Zoom hangout to keep yourself busy, or simply escape into a good book. These unrelated activities can calm your anxiety and keep you distracted from the temptation to act on behaviors.
You might feel guilty about turning a momentous night into something light-hearted, but watching the election results trickle in on the news doesn’t make you a better citizen. Stressing over the uncontrollable outcome is just unproductive. Taking care of your own mental health will help you be a more involved citizen in the long run.
Look for ways to help
Anxiety is often centered around things that are out of our control. At this point, you have done all you can to influence the outcome of the election. Now, it’s time to create an action plan for moving forward. What causes do you want to contribute to or volunteer for? How can you get involved? What issues do you want to learn more about?
Focusing on what you can control (your own personal actions) can help stop your mind from racing with thoughts about the uncontrollable.
Looking for comfort from your eating disorder in the face of election anxiety is normal, but there are other ways you can soothe yourself. Disrupt your behaviors by seeking out positive distractions and minimizing stress.
No matter what happens, your wellbeing matters. Recovery will put you in a better place to do your part for your community and the causes you care about, so taking care of yourself really is the best thing you can do right now.
If you are a California resident, we can support your recovery. Contact us for a 15-minute consultation to begin. We’d love to help!
