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In this issue:

• Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
• The Election Year & Your Mental Health
• Coping with Chronic Stress During COVID-19
• Licensed Clinicians Wanted

The Election Year & Your Mental Health

This fall is going to be filled with political news, conversations and events. With the 2020 U.S. presidential election in less than two months, the climate of the country is increasingly divided. The unknown about the next four years of the country can cause a lot of anxiety, fear and distress. It may be a time of tension in your relationships, if people close to you have different political stances. And with the 24 hour news cycle and social media constantly going, it can easily become overwhelming. In the American Psychological Association’s most recent Stress in America survey, more than 80 percent of Americans reported that the nation’s future is a significant source of stress for them. No matter what political side you fall on, political stressors can impact your mental health. 

Here are six tips for maintaining your mental health during this election year:

Check In With Yourself Regularly

Political stress may be affecting you more than you think. That’s why it’s important to check in with how you are feeling and recognize when it may be good to take a break. You may realize that you could spend your time practicing more self-care to relieve stress. Journaling, meditating or taking a walk in nature are all great ways to become more in tune with yourself and your needs. 

Set Boundaries for the Conversations You Have

Conversations about politics can often get heated and put a strain on relationships. It helps to set expectations for how you want the communication of these conversations to go. Setting rules of respect will alleviate some of the frustration, so that you can discuss current issues in a calm and constructive manner. Instead of entering conversations with the purpose of trying to change someone’s mind, you can take turns hearing from each other and be open to hearing the other person’s perspective. Listening in an open and non-judgmental way definitely takes practice, but having that courtesy will make political conversations go much smoother.

Set a Limit for How Much News You Consume

It’s important to be informed about current events, but constantly scrolling through news articles and social media can also leave you feeling more overwhelmed. Set aside time each day for consumption, but also give yourself a limit. You can set a timer or some social media apps even have their own timers that you can set for them.

Make Peace With Things That Are Out of Your Control

At the end of the day, you aren’t going to be able to change everyone’s beliefs to match your own or control the outcome of a political race. Recognizing that some things are out of your control is something that we all have to make peace with. 

Take Action

That being said, we do have control over ourselves and our mindsets, which can be equally empowering. Instead of feeling powerless about current events, you can take action and most importantly: exercise your right to vote! You can work towards a future you want to see by voting, volunteering for a political campaign and finding meaningful ways to get involved in your community. Your voice is powerful and you can use it to advocate for what you believe in.

The voter registration deadline in Oregon is October 13, 2020 for the General Election on November 3rd. Register to vote now, if you haven’t already!

Seek Out Support

During election season, it helps to have someone who you can communicate your fears, anxieties and concerns to. To minimize stress, seek out someone who will listen to you and provide support. This could be a friend, family member or your therapist. If you are looking for a therapist to speak to, who will listen to you in a supportive, non-judgmental environment, you can request an appointment with us today.
 

C.A.L.M.— A Quick Stress-Release Exercise

Mindfulness for Managing Stress

Three Tips for Managing Stress

 Coping with Chronic Stress During COVID-19

When we are put into temporary stressful situations, we have adapted short-term survival strategies that we use to get through it. Earlier this year, many of us were using this "surge capacity" to confront stress and operate through the quick, drastic changes of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, six months have passed and most of the stressors of the pandemic have not gone away. Many people are still dealing with constant stress surrounding their health, mental wellbeing, relationships, work adaptations and finances due to COVID-19. As the pandemic has continued, people's surge capacities have become depleted. The result is that many people are experiencing burnout, the result of excessive stress over time. When stress levels are prolonged, they can easily become unmanageable and completely wear us out.

In a time when we are experiencing ambiguous loss, where the consequences of this major event are unclear and lack a quick resolution, it's important to develop coping strategies that are within our scope of control. Since the type of stress people are experiencing is chronic, it helps to work through it in ways that build your resilience. 
 

Take an Acceptance-Oriented Approach

Try Not to Take Part in Avoidance Coping

One way of coping is by avoiding thinking, feeling or doing difficult things. However, this is not the most healthy way to confront life's stressors. Avoiding can actually cause you more anxiety in the long run. Instead of stress avoidance, try focusing on stress management for your chronic stress to improve everyday functioning.
 

Change What You Can

Shift your focus to what you are able to change right now. Solution-focused coping strategies can help relieve stress because they involve small, tangible improvements in the midst of more consistent pressures. An example of solution-focused coping is implementing time-management strategies when you feel overwhelmed by a busy schedule.
 

Practice Positive Reframing

Despite the hardships in the recent months, there are probably still some small positive things you can draw from the situation. Reflect on what you have learned through this adversity and how you might have grown personally. You can also look back on what you may have created or done throughout this period. When you realize that there are still small victories you have accomplished, you can take a more positive perspective on this time as an opportunity for growth. 
 

Build Resilience Through Learning

Focus on Healthy Habits

Despite the uncontrollable situation, you can still relieve stress through your daily habits. Regular sleep, healthy meals and exercise are always useful tools for dealing with chronic stress. Giving yourself breaks and practicing being kind to yourself is important.
 

Ask for Help

Sometimes we aren't able to fully work through constant stress on our own. And that's okay. Speaking to a mental health professional can give you an outlet to voice your anxieties. They can give you more tools for managing chronic stress. Request an appointment today with one of our therapists through our online telehealth counseling sessions. 

 

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