We don’t agree on much in our divided nation.
But the results of the annual American Psychological Association’s Stress in America survey out in February reveal that the majority on both sides of the political spectrum share at least one thing in common: We’re stressed. More specifically, two-thirds of Americans — 76 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans — said the future of the nation was a significant source of stress for them. Overall, 57 percent of Americans said the current political climate is a very or somewhat significant source of stress for them, and average reported stress levels increased significantly for the first time in the 10 years since the Stress in America survey began. As it turns out, stress — like the common cold — can spread.
“Stress is contagious,” says Mindy Greenstein, a clinical psychologist and author of “The House on Crash Corner,” a book about coping with crisis. Even if you’re feeling OK, experts say, others’ fears or anxiety can trigger your own. “Our brain’s top priority is to keep us safe; and so if it senses that something’s unsafe — that the world is out of our control in some way, shape or form, it goes into the stress mode to protect us,” says Dr. Cynthia Ackrill, a physician turned leadership coach based in Burke, Virginia, who specializes in stress management. “It’s a good thing.” We need to be able respond to stressors, like danger, to survive and thrive.
However, being chronically stressed can take a toll on our health and well-being in myriad ways, from affecting our mental state — even increasing one’s risk for developing depression — to being linked to an increase in unhealthy belly fat and inflammation and raising blood pressure.
[See: 9 Tips to Tame Work Stress.]
Coping With “Stress Soup”
To cope and be resilient in the “stress soup” we step into daily, we must first take better care of ourselves, Ackrill says. Stress experts advocate a back-to-basics approach — from exercising regularly, sticking to mealtimes and eating well to staying hydrated. Though it sounds very basic, taking such simple steps can help a person better adapt to ambient stress, says Rajita Sinha, director of the Yale Stress Center, where research is done on the effects of stress on the brain, behavior and health. Ambient stress, or environmental conditions that can negatively impact us, include such things as noise pollution, traffic and violence in our communities. All can raise an individual’s stress levels.
Of course, not everyone is affected by stress at work, home or even on a broader, societal level in the same way. So what else can you do to persevere if you’re feeling edgy? For one, get specific about what’s bothering you. “We tend to be more distressed and anxious about things that we’re less precise about,” says Lynn Bufka, a psychologist and member of the APA’s Stress in America team, which develops the annual survey. It can be difficult to tease out broad concerns, like stress related to the future of the country. But parsing out specifics and taking action — if possible — can be helpful both to practically address stressors and find support in conjunction with others. Even if you aren’t able to make societal changes, personal tweaks can help you regain some control, experts say — which can be affirming and calming. Concerned about incivility in politics? Be cordial in how you relate to others.
[See: 11 Simple, Proven Ways to Optimize Your Mental Health.]
Don’t be surprised, either, if you mentally circle back to what’s concerning you. “Our minds have negative bias. Our minds are out there trolling for something that’s scary to us — because it’s supposed to keep us safe,” Ackrill says. But constantly getting yourself worked into a frenzy is not advantageous to you or good for your health. “We actually have to interrupt that and work really hard … at finding things that make us feel happy and OK.”
Just as you should unplug from screens before bed and throughout the day, experts advise being intentional about how you consume news. “I think one thing about a stressor you can’t change immediately, [is that] you can change how much you’re exposed to it,” Bufka says. “We are evermore plugged in, and there’s always more and more news or more and more email. Or you might be on Facebook checking up what your cousins are doing planning for some upcoming family reunion, but your feed on the side is giving you news information.” You don’t have to put your head in the sand. But Bufka suggests limiting exposure by setting aside time when you’ll get up-to-date on what’s going on in the world. That way you can spend uninterrupted time doing other things that are relaxing, such as going for a walk or watching the cat goof around.
Taking a Deep Breath
Being intentional about how you approach the stressful world goes beyond a disciplined approach to news consumption. It involves changing your mindset, and making adjustments throughout the day. Whether you’re opening the door to your home, office or your car, asking yourself who you want to be when you go through that door (or hop on the road), can shift your mindset in a positive way, Ackrill says. “What you’re doing is ramping down the automatic reactive state and choosing the response,” she says. By being proactive in that way, she says, we can increase our “coping confidence — to find the ways that make us feel like we have some modicum of control in the world to take care of our own well-being.” That could also include breaking, say in the middle of a workday, for just two minutes to take slow, deep breaths if overwhelmed.
[See: 8 Ways to Relax — Now.]
If you find that frequently when you’re with a friend or loved one, your stress level frequently goes up, speak up to redirect the conversation. “Say, ‘You know what? I think we’re both getting ourselves worked up here,'” Bufka advises. It can, of course, be useful to talk about concerns, but experts suggest making it a point to discuss lighter topics, too. In addition, pay close attention to how you’re feeling — something that, experts say, while it might seem obvious, can be difficult to do in a distracted world. Yoga and other mindfulness practices can help you stay focused on the present and hit the reset button. Engaging in positive activities, such as laughing with friends or taking a longer walk, Sinha says, can also help regulate stress levels.
While you’re at it, take stock of what makes you smile. Greenstein created a “moments folder” to refer back to. “I actually put it on my phone,” she says. “Basically any time that I’m feeling particularly good, I will write down just a couple of notes about what it was that made me feel so good at that moment,” she says. Then when she’s really stressed, she looks at what she’s written down to remind herself of what she’s grateful for. When we’re feeling particularly stressed out, she says, it’s hard for us to see all the positive things going on in our lives.
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How to Stay Calm When Everybody Seems Stressed originally appeared on usnews.com
