6 Tactics For Dealing With Political Stress

Back in February, an annual survey by the American Psychological Association found that 57 percent of Americans — Democrats and Republicans alike — said they considered the nation’s political climate a significant source of stress. Also, it reported “the first significant increase” in the overall average stress level among Americans since the survey began 10 years ago, based on responses from last August to January. Since then, there’s been little reason to think those stress levels have been alleviated. “At the individual level, there is absolutely greater collective distress regarding our country, the presidency, and the future [right now],” said Dr. Josh Klapow, a clinical psychologist and co-host of radio show “The Web.” “This ranges from [Donald] Trump supporters concerned that the country is not united behind the presidency, to those who believe the president is taking the country down an ill-advised path,” he said. The source of much of this collective unrest is change. “Changes in how our government is run, changes between individuals and their beliefs, and the interpretation of what those changes mean” can all play a role in contributing to anxiety, Klapow said. Additionally, social media and the 24-hour news cycle have made it easier than ever to be an omnivorous consumer of information, obsessively gathering facts and opinions until you feel increasingly frustrated and helpless...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news