Empowering parents of tweens and teens to turn stress into calmness and strength. Guide your children to manage transitions with confidence and resilience. Mental fitness will teach you 'how.'
Election seasons often stir strong emotions, putting our minds into overdrive and taxing our emotional and physical well-being. Even after Election Day, residual stress can linger, impacting our health, relationships, and daily mindset. By understanding our brain’s natural responses to stress and building mental fitness, we can effectively navigate this period with resilience, calm, and compassion.
Scenario: Navigating election tensions
Imagine Sarah and Mike, a couple who have always enjoyed discussing current events over dinner. As the election approaches, their conversations become heated and increasingly divisive. Sarah feels anxious about the potential outcomes and finds herself withdrawing. Mike becomes frustrated, feeling unsupported in his views. Their once-joyful discussions turn into arguments, creating a rift in their relationship. Over time, they realize that the stress from the election is affecting not only their connection but also their overall well-being.
The ripple effect: How parental stress affects children
It's essential to recognize that parental stress and anxiety can significantly impact children. Kids often look to their parents as role models, absorbing the emotional cues they observe. When parents experience high levels of anxiety, children may mirror those feelings, resulting in increased anxiety and stress in their own lives. Research shows that parents who model unhealthy coping mechanisms like excessive eating, drinking, or dwelling on stressful narratives—can unintentionally teach their children to replicate these behaviors.
On the flip side, when parents prioritize mental and physical fitness, engage in daily self-care, and practice healthy coping strategies, they not only support their well-being but also set a positive example for their children. This modeling is crucial; children learn how to navigate stress from their parents. By embracing healthy habits, parents can help their kids develop resilience and effective coping strategies for life’s challenges.
Why election stress becomes chronic
During high-stress periods like elections, our brain’s negativity bias kicks in, actively scanning for threats and amplifying fears. This evolutionary mechanism can quickly become overwhelming, especially when compounded by news cycles and social media.
Research shows that around 56% of Americans reported that political disagreements negatively impacted their relationships during the 2020 elections. Many couples avoid conversations that could diminish trust and connection. Adding to this, mirror neurons play a significant role in making stress contagious. When we see friends or family reacting strongly to election outcomes, it can unconsciously trigger similar reactions within us. Surrounding ourselves with people who maintain a positive outlook can help mitigate this effect, as negative emotions can easily be transferred.
While we can’t control outside events, we can change how we respond to them. Maintaining a 3:1 ratio of positive-to-negative interactions is generally sufficient for mental well-being; during high-stress times, aim for a 5:1 ratio. Positive Intelligence techniques can help make this possible, building mental fitness and providing tools to shift our responses to stressful triggers.
Building mental fitness: The “hot stove” analogy
Visualize touching a hot stove. We instinctively pull away to stop the pain. Yet when we encounter emotional "heat," such as anger, stress, or fear, we often keep our hands on the hot stove, allowing those emotions to linger. Strengthening your “Saboteur Interceptor” muscle can help you recognize and redirect stress when it first appears. Each time you notice a surge of stress, visualize your hand touching that hot stove and pull your emotional hand away. This interrupts the automatic cycle and helps you transition away from reaction mode. Each time you successfully remove your hand, celebrate your accomplishment. Don’t underestimate the celebration, and it’s a well-deserved dopamine hit that will build momentum.
Meet the judge saboteur: The universal saboteur
The Judge is the universal Saboteur, affecting everyone in three distinct ways:
Self-judgment: The Judge criticizes you for feeling anxious or uninformed. Labeling this as self-judgment can interrupt the spiral before it escalates.
Judging others: The Judge targets those with differing views, deepening divides and creating tension in relationships.
Judging circumstances: The Judge critiques situations that don’t align with our hopes. Recognizing these judgments as Saboteurs allows for more constructive responses.
Awareness of the Judge Saboteur empowers us to break this cycle, helping us to keep calm and think clearly when we need it most.
Sage powers: Building a resilient mindset
Positive Intelligence introduces the Sage Powers—five core mental fitness skills designed to shift us from negative reactions to constructive responses, helping us effectively manage post-election stress:
Empathize: Practice self-compassion instead of self-criticism. Acknowledge that feeling stressed during turbulent times is natural. By extending empathy toward yourself and others, you foster patience and understanding.
Explore: Approach situations with curiosity rather than judgment. Cultivating this mindset allows you to see beyond your immediate perspective. Ask, “What else might be true?”
Navigate: Imagine your wiser future self reflecting on this challenge. Consider questions like, “What truly matters? What shouldn’t I worry about?” This long-term view helps clarify your focus and release distractions.
Innovate: Use creativity to find common ground, especially in tense moments. Focus on the 10% you can agree on to create space for new connections.
Activate: Prepare for potential stressors by planning your responses in advance. Anticipate triggers and visualize taking your “hand off the hot stove,” celebrating your ability to step back from stress. When faced with challenges, respond with empathy, take breaks as needed, or choose acceptance. Incorporate grounding techniques like breathing exercises before interactions to activate your Sage powers.
Practical strategies for managing election and post-election stress
To keep stress manageable, consider these approaches
Daily grounding techniques: Begin each day with grounding practices before checking your phone, social media, or news. This sets a positive tone.
Boost positive interactions: Strive for at least five positive interactions for every negative one. Engage in hobbies, connect with supportive friends, or practice gratitude.
Catch and label your judge: When you notice judgmental thoughts, recognize them as the Judge Saboteur. Shift your focus back to positive thoughts and solutions.
Tap into empathy: Cultivate self-compassion and practice empathy toward others to maintain harmony, even during disagreements.
Ask curious questions: Replace judgment with curiosity. Questions like “What else might be true?” can dissolve tension and foster understanding.
Prepare with sage activation: Strategize your responses in advance to anticipate Saboteurs. Knowing what to expect empowers you to act from a place of strength.
Testimonial
"Mental fitness was the missing piece for me. Therapy and mindfulness helped me reflect, but mental fitness taught me to apply what I've learned in real time. I'm grateful every day for this life-changing practice." - Julie
Election-related stress doesn’t need to spill over into chronic stress. Let’s choose not to let election overload interfere with our well-being and important relationships. By integrating Positive Intelligence techniques, we can protect our peace, wellness, and connections, creating a mindset that supports resilience and inner calm regardless of the headlines.
To learn more about Positive Intelligence and discover how it can enhance your mental fitness journey, visit here.
Ready to transform your stress into resilience? Reach out to me here.
Together, we can create a toolkit to manage stress and anxiety effectively, protecting our well-being no matter what the world throws our way.
Read more from Barb Kornbrath
Barb Kornbrath, Certified Positive Intelligence Coach
Barb Kornbrath empowers parents of tweens and teens to manage stress. She helps improve communication, manage anxiety, and nurture emotional intelligence. Using mental fitness techniques, she supports parents in creating resilient, loving family dynamics. Barb transforms parenting challenges into lifelong learning opportunities. Her mission is to promote conscious parenting, one mindset at a time. Happy, thriving parents and kids await!
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