For some who are more invested in politics than others, preventing such stress may be inevitable to some point. However, there are ways in which individuals can reduce this stress without being politically disengaged. Article By: Bia Shok Graphics by: Krisha Konchadi Every four years, the national dilemma relapses; it is once again election season, and the mental well-being of many citizens is declining due to table-side family political debates, media division regarding both parties and even tireless bickering among friends. For individuals to remain hopeful, it is important that such interactions are limited to a way where the absorption of politics and information remains accurate and not overwhelming. With politics being such a prevalent topic in society, the conversation of the nation’s future is a subject hard to ignore. This being the case, lead researcher of the study published on PLOS One and chair of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kevin Smith, states he has found in his study that nearly two out of five Americans say politics is stressing them out and one in five had friendships damaged due to the cause of politics. “A surprisingly large number of American adults perceive their engagement in politics as having negative effects on their social, emotional and even physical health,” Smith said in an interview with Web Md. The stress produced a variety of results in multiple sectors of citizen’s lifestyle. According to the study, 31.8 percent said watching media outlets promoting views contrary to theirs “can drive me crazy” and 38 percent of the respondents said politics had caused them stress, as paraphrased in the Minn Post. According to Michigan Health, it is important that individuals are conscious of the time spent on engaging on political content through media and through physical relationships. In order to reduce stress, one must naturally censor the amount of political engagement they might be getting during the season. Other methods include stepping away from conversations when needed and being more open to more viewpoints by listening to others while assuming less animosity towards others. “While it’s important to be aware of what’s going on in our country and the world, you need to take care of yourself and mental health too,” psychiatrist and associate director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression CenterMichelle Riba, M.D., M.S., said in an interview with Michigan Health. For a sustainable engagement in politics, it is important that during this election season individuals’ involvement in politics is directed in a healthy, meaningful and accurate way that will not damage our physical and mental wellbeing or inflict unnecessary stress. Layout by: Krisha Konchadi
11 Publizr Home