With the presidential election on Nov. 5, students may find themselves overwhelmed with the pressure to stay informed about the current political environment. This stress can present itself as uneasiness about the future or difficulty concentrating on studies, leaving students feeling drained and uncertain about their own beliefs and choices.
Daniel Johnson, sophomore medical humanities and neuroscience major, knows that students can feel stressed with the pressure of voting.
“I also do believe that my vote counts and it counts towards something, and that helps with not making it stressful. We, the people, have a voice, it’s not up to one person,” Johnson said.
Leanne Boucher Gill, professor in the College of Psychology, said the stress students get from elections is a form of chronic stress.
“Chronic stress is just not good for you,” Boucher Gill said. “It is the feeling that it does not only affect you but also the entire world. That is what makes it different. The stress of the unknown, and if you think the stakes are so high if your side does not win, all of that can affect a student.”
Boucher Gill said there are ways for students to avoid stress they may feel during the election period.
“This is hard because you want to disengage, but you also want to stay engaged politically. You can read the news if you want to stay engaged as opposed to watching it,” Boucher Gill said. “Social media also is a problem, as it is hard to get away from political content. Just like anything for stress, exercise, being with your friends and sleep, will help people cope with it.”
Even though the stress is apparent, students are optimistic about the outlook for the future.
“I know that whatever that result is, even if it is not who I want to win, we can just work towards a better country. Whoever is in office, their responsibility is to make decisions, but also it is our constitutional right to use our voice,” Johnson said.
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