GOLDEN, Colo. — Heading outdoors and enjoying the beauty of Colorado could be the best way to handle election anxiety. For several people, strolling through downtown Golden and hanging out with friends serves as a distraction from the outside noises surrounding the outcome of Nov. 5.
"I’m excited for it to be over, I think more so than anything," Kate Popoff, a student at Rocky Vista University, explained. "It was a lot of research on my part to figure out who I wanted to vote for — if they aligned with my values, if they didn't, so a lot of background research on that end."
For others like Trinity Dudek, kicking around a soccer ball with friends helped relieve her worries ahead of Election Day.
"I think after a certain point, it feels very out of my control, which is stressful, so all you can really do is hope that everything works out how it's supposed to," Dudek said.
Navigating the stress and anxiety surrounding the election can be challenging. Psychology professor emeritus at Metropolitan State University of Denver Harvey Milkman, Ph.D., explained the toll these emotions can have on Coloradans' bodies.
"When you're under stress, incidentally, you make bad decisions, people become impulsive, and they do things that are not in their best interest, so it's really in your best interest to get a hold of stress," Milkman explained.
Getting outdoors and exercising was one of Milkman's top recommendations to lower Coloradans' stress levels during the days before and after the election.
"I mean exercise it really [is a] remedy. It really counteracts cortisol, so if you want to have the endorphins, they set the stage for natural highs and the ability to really sort of, you know, put a damper on these stress hormones," Milkman said.
Another piece of advice — do activities that are meaningful and could lead to self-improvement.
"The best thing that I've come up with in terms of my own stress is to work on things to improve myself, so meaningful engagement of talents," Milkman explained. "For example... if you're a flute player, practice the flute. If you're a reader, do more reading. If you're someone who is like sports, improve your sports and that will take you away from stress."
Another tip Milkman shared was engage in conversations with loved ones to explain your heightened emotions, and understand you may not always agree on the same political stance.
"Let's just think about listening to what they have to say first, and then we can move the dialog, be willing to move the dialog a little bit," Milkman explained. "I mean, it's possible that we might not like the candidate, but we might be okay with a lot of the policies, so let's be open to moving the dialog a little bit if the election doesn't go in our way."
These are just some suggestions that could help relieve election-related stress and improve the interactions with others during election week.
"I think we have to tone ourselves, keep ourselves in check, and keep an eye on ourselves and ask ourselves how we're reacting to this very stressful period of history," Milkman said.
The Colorado State Employee Assistance Program will host a live webinar on Nov. 5 by to help Coloradans navigate election stress and political disagreements.
