Americans Made a New Record for Stress and Anxiety! Political Climate is a Major Source Of Stress

Why change and uncertainty make us nervous - and what we can do about it!

Every year since 2007, the American Psychological Association has published an annual survey of Stress in America. In January 2017, for the first time in its 10 year history, the survey found a statistically significant increase in stress levels in America, compared to last year. Americans are more stressed than ever and we, as mental health professionals, are challenged to provide insights and tools to help people manage their stress so they can live happier, healthier lives.

Anger and polarization

The most obvious explanation for why we are so stressed is that the nation is so polarized on political lines.

More than half of the more than 1,000 people surveyed (57%) said the current political climate was a very or somewhat significant source of stress.

After an election characterized by anger and personal attacks, we are continuing to experience the emotional fallout in the form of hostility, mistrust, feelings of being under attack, and pervasive anxiety. It is no longer the case that the things that divide us are less than those that unite us as Americans. Today, we struggle with profound differences in values and definitions of who we are as a nation. And it’s not just America that is struggling with these issues, but Europe as well.

I hear stories every day of partners who fight all the time about politics or of family members who no longer speak to each other because of different political views. President Donald Trump's style is to dig in and attack the other side, rather than admit mistakes and seek compromise and unity. While this strategy may be effective in some situations, it can exacerbate conflict, rather than resolve it. This way of interacting seems to trickle down to the dinner tables and water coolers, creating increasing division and anger.

It’s not just liberals who are stressed

While liberals are the most stressed, the stress is not limited to liberals.

According to a Bloomberg News article, “a full two-thirds of respondents to the survey said they are stressed out about the nation's future.” Although that figure includes 76 percent of Democrats, it captures the perceptions of 59 percent of Republicans as well.

So there is something pervasive going on that extends beyond political beliefs. According to one of the study’s authors, people are stressed by the fast pace of change and by the uncertainty of the political climate, Unpredictability is very stressful to the human brain as you will see below.

Uncertainty is highly stressful to humans

Uncertainty and rapid change are very stressful to humans. In one study, conducted last year by researchers at University College, London, 45 participants played a computer game in which they turned over rocks that might have snakes under them. When a snake appeared, they received a mildly painful electric shock to the hand. Over time, participants learned which rocks were most likely to have snakes, but then researchers changed the odds, leading to different levels of uncertainty. Results showed that when conditions were most uncertain (50/50 chance of finding a snake), participants were more stressed than when there was 0% or 100% chance of finding a snake.

Even though the number of shocks was greater in the 100% condition, participants experienced the uncertainty condition as more stressful. According to the lead author Archy de Berker, “Our experiment allows us to draw conclusions about the effect of uncertainty on stress. It turns out that it’s much worse not knowing you are going to get a shock than knowing you definitely will or won't. We saw exactly the same effects in our physiological measures – people sweat more and their pupils get bigger when they are more uncertain.”

Our brains are like prediction machines that assess the relationships between events in our environment. Based on past experience and what we are currently experiencing, our brains make predictions about the likelihood of future harm and propel us to take action to prevent negative outcomes. If we don’t know what’s likely to happen next, we don’t know whether to take action, what actions to take, and how these might turn out. This can lead to a sense of helplessness or to feeling like we need to be vigilantly on guard in case things suddenly change. This might be why so many of us are glued to the news every day.

How can you de-stress?

Given we’re all feeling so stressed and anxious, what can we do about it? Below are a few tips to manage your stress. If you want a more detailed plan, take a look at my new book The Stress-Proof Brain, which helps you change your reactions to stress and eliminate unhealthy responses like negative thinking, hostility, and avoidance.

Limit time spent watching or listening to the news

It’s important to many of us to stay informed, but there’s a difference between getting the information you need and being vigilantly obsessed. The news is presented in a dramatic way that creates anxiety (and gets more viewers). All the spin can be infuriating and yet there’s nothing we can do to stop it except switch off the television after we know the facts of the day.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is an attitude to living that involves acceptance of whatever is happening in the present moment, self-awareness, compassion, and acting with forethought, rather than reacting automatically. It is best learned by practicing some form of meditation, like focusing on the breath or your senses. There are many mindfulness apps you can use to guide you. Mindfulness will give you an inner calm amidst the chaos.

Focus on parts of your life where you do have control

You can’t control a lot of what happens in politics, but you can control important aspects of your own life, like how much effort you put into your work, relationships, parenting, community, and health. Don’t put so much energy into monitoring politics that you neglect to take care of yourself and the things that you care about.

Find support and take action if you need to

Sharing your feelings with other like-minded people can help you feel supported and understood, which calms down your stress. It helps that you are not alone - that others are going through the same things. If you feel it is personally important to take action to express your values or defend the things that are important to you, get together with others and make a plan of action that fits your values. There is more power in numbers. This can counteract feelings of helplessness and make you feel like you are making a difference!

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