Coping During an Election

Written By Rachel Aredia, LCPC, NCC

With yet another election year upon us, many American people, across party lines, are experiencing election stress and anxiety. Whether you are worried about standing in line to vote, the outcome, or the aftermath, all worries are valid - and can cause undue amounts of stress. Many have reported the 2020 election to be the most stressful in their memory. With the 2016 election fresh in so many individual’s minds, the worry seems to be even more heightened. Here are some tools to use in the coming days to ease some of that anxiety:

Make a list of Self-Care Ideas. This has been one of the number one suggestions with my clients. Make a list of 5-10 things that you enjoy that are self-care, i.e. baking, going for a long walk, doing a workout, reading a book, etc. Keep that list nearby so that when you feel your anxiety levels increasing, you can reference the list and choose one thing from the list to do. You will have to hold yourself accountable to complete the activity. Once the activity is completed, check in with yourself and decide what you may need next.

Turn off the News. I know this is a hard one, but hear me out: What good is watching the news ALL day on November 3rd going to do? We can switch back and forth, but the reality is, we won’t know the results until later and being confronted with sensationalized headlines all day will heighten our stress. What I suggest is watching roughly 10 minutes in morning and night to stay informed then moving to a different show or activity.

Stop Scrolling. In fact, why not avoid social media all together? If that is near impossible due to your work or simply because social media gets you through, I would suggest limiting time spent on that as well by putting timers on social media apps or putting your phone on do not disturb for a few hours to avoid too many notifications.

Make plans for Election Day. Having structured plans for the day could help you to avoid the news/media. Whether you are working that day or have the day off, make plans to break up your day. Remember that list we talked about earlier? Take one of those things and schedule it into your day purposefully.

Check in with your support network. Check in with your loved ones. Plan a zoom call with a game to keep everyone in high spirits. If needed, schedule a session with your therapist as well as they can continue to provide you with more tailored coping skills to your needs.

There have been reports that we may not know the outcome of the election for days or weeks so having plans to take care of yourself will be important. If this happens, I suggest to continue to limit the time spent on media (social media and news) and continue to implement coping skills that will help ease anxiety symptoms.

Rachel Aredia, LCPC, NCC

Thank you for coming to get to know me! I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, practicing in Chicago, Illinois. I have a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and Philosophy from Southern Illinois University and obtained my Master’s in Clinical Counseling from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

I have 10+ years experience working in the mental health field, with experience holding a variety of different titles and helping hundreds of clients in a variety of therapeutic settings. I have a special interest in working with clients who experience anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and related disorders. I have received specialized training in LGBTQ Affirmative Therapy as well as mindfulness-based treatment therapy, and motivational interviewing. In addition, I have obtained advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and am a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP).

Focus & Approach

During my journey in the mental health field (both personally and professionally), I have learned that the biggest thing for my clients is fostering a judgement-free space where one can be authentic and feel genuinely heard.

I am in a great place of privilege to be able to help people navigate the most challenging and stressful times of their lives. I strongly believe the quality of the therapeutic relationship plays a significant role in an individual’s healing process, and therefore my goal is to develop and maintain a safe, open, and trusting dynamic with each client that I work with by humanizing the process. I believe everyone should have a therapist, myself included. I also understand that I will not meet everyone’s needs all of the time and when that happens, I am happy to make referrals to therapists that would better fit your needs as the client – therapist relationship is so important for your treatment.

My approach has been described as engaging, empathic, direct, warm and non-judgmental. I have been known to use humor in my sessions to promote comfort and humanize the process of therapy. I strive to create a space where you can be your authentic self and break down any barriers you may have to leave you feeling empowered and at ease. I encourage positive change in a supportive, compassionate manner while simultaneously offering at times, blunt feedback with empathy and humor.

I hold special interest in working with clients who may have experienced difficult therapeutic relationships in the past. Perhaps you or a loved one engaged in therapy with a therapist who did not fit your needs and left a “bad taste” of therapy. My hope is to engage these clients and assist them in finding a better fit for the therapeutic relationship as I believe therapy is so important.

Personal Note

When not in therapy, I have been known to enjoy Cubs games, enjoy spending time with my dog, and enjoying true crime documentaries.

I have also engaged in therapy as a client and understand the value of the relationship of the client and therapist. I also understand that sometimes, we just need someone to simply talk to.

My Statement on the BLM movement

I stand in support of the Black community in solidarity against racism and injustice. I am committed to learning how I can work together with my clients and community toward a future of equality. My practice is open to everyone as this is a judgment free zone. I look forward to the continued conversations and opportunities to not only discuss the Black Lives Matter movement and the current state of racial relations in America, but to do my part to raise awareness of systemic racism and to help dismantle that system, wherever possible.

https://www.inspirewithintherapy.com
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