Is Politics Making You Stressed Out?

Is politics making you stressed? Anxious? Depressed? — Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Some days are worse than others for me. Today was particularly bad, especially with that stupid, fear mongering, “scare us into calling our senators” ad I’ve been seeing all day. Here is a video clip of the ad with the “truth” pointed out…

I’ve written about this FISA issue so much already, it makes me want to just SCREAM! I guess that makes me a wee-bit stressed. Screaming at the t.v. would seem to be a good indication of a person’s anxiety level, don’t you think? Do you ever want to scream at your television?

Today I even let the “F-bomb” slip, and in front of my daughter no less. It was while I was on the phone talking about politics (specifically, my pet-peeve issue of Florida disenfranchisement), and my daughter was sitting in the same room. There goes my “Perfect Mother of the Year” award.

How would you rate your level of politically induced stress? Are you a one? And not affected at all over political issues? Or, are you a ten? And waiting patiently for the men with straight jackets to show up at your door? I don’t think I’m a ten yet. But, at this rate, I’m sure it won’t be too long before I am.

Here are a couple posts I found of other women who are stressing over politics…

Lori Wallach at The Huffington Post

As America’s anxiety grows, the economy not only is becoming a preeminent issue of the election, but the presidential candidates are responding to public anxiety about the current model of globalization. The Democratic candidates are reflecting back the public criticism of the status quo, but so far, they have avoided stating how an aspiring future president would restore the economic security of the American middle class in this era of globalization.

Maya Reynolds: Election Day Preview

I woke early and was at my desk by 7:30–despite rain and the fact that I usually drift in around 9:00 AM.

I’ve been aware of a low-level anxiety all morning. Sort of like the feeling my mother used to describe as “ants in your pants.”

While I was eating my Chinese food and cruising the Internet over lunch, it dawned on me.

Wonderful Electric - Election Blues

Okay, so on Tuesday I went to cast my vote in the Democrats Abroad primary at Portchester Hall in London. The problem was, I was having a massive moral crisis. I was an undecided voter, for the first time in my entire life (and yes, this includes casting a vote for Dukakis in my school’s mock election in 1988 and crying when Bush won).

Since Edwards dropped out (and this Krugman column made me cry), I’ve had a hard time getting excited about the Democratic primary. This isn’t just out of character, it’s out of keeping with the massive turnouts recorded all over the states which (I assume) means that heaps of other people are terribly thrilled. It’s a strange combination of disillusionment, apathy, and indecision that I’ve never experenced before. Between Obamania and the Hillarybot, who the hell am I going to vote for?

Elissa’s Blog - Election Blues

I don’t know about you, but I’m having a panic attack about the future of our country. I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine around the time of the last presidential election. She considered herself a Democrat and I considered myself a Republican.

The real question is…How are we going to make it to November with all of this stress? Well, there is no specific “political” stress relief program. But, here are some general tips you might find helpful., in reducing your level of stress. When all else fails…Turn the “freekin” news OFF.

Child of the Waters - Stress: Don’t Fight It, Control It.

Under stress? Always. First and foremost, don’t panic! Some people can work under stress because they do not panic. Keep calm and assess the situation. What is the sources of the stress? Is it your boss? Your officemate? The office/school itself? Chill. Hopefully, none of them bite. Here are some ways to control the stress in your life…

Pagama Mommy - Stress Relief

I heard recently that there is no such thing as stress. You can’t go outside with an empty jar, fill it with stress then bring it home or with you to wherever you go. Hmmm, sounds good. Then why are we so stressed-out? Why do we do this to ourselves?