After months and months of campaigning, the presidential and local elections are finally just a few weeks away. Many of my clients are remarking that they are sick of hearing about the election and ready to move on. For some people, emotional, mental, and physical stress is occurring; they are suffering from “election burnout.”
The good news is: you may have the choice to make a change. Here are three simple things you can do to soothe your election burnout or prevent it altogether:
1. If you know who you’re voting for, take advantage of early voting or absentee voting so you can consider your role in the election over. If you’ve already voted, no matter what happens between now and the election, you can’t change your vote, so tell yourself that you’ve done all you can.
If you remain undecided, consider what resources you consider valid and trustworthy enough to influence your decision. Then look into those resources and avoid ones that aren’t helpful in the process.
2. Limit or eliminate exposure to social media and news broadcasts. Perhaps you can read a book you’ve been meaning to get to or start exercising during the time you would normally be checking Facebook or listening to radio news. Social media does not have to be a source of stress. If it is, stay off of it.
If you work at a store or office that has a TV or radio tuned to the news, ask management if the channel can be changed until the election is over. Chances are your customers are a bit burned out too.
3. If the topic of the election comes up, excuse yourself from the conversation and leave the area. If escaping the conversation is not possible, politely ask if the subject can be changed. You can use the excuse that you’re burned out on the subject of politics or that open discussion of politics makes you uncomfortable.
November 8th is two weeks away. If you don’t make changes to your daily habits, that two weeks may seem like an eternity. Unless you work for a campaign or an organization that reports on the election, how much you expose yourself to the election is up to you.
Copyright: imtmphoto / 123RF Stock Photo
