CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As Election Day approaches, millions of Americans are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, stress and uncertainty.
According to the American Psychiatric Association's annual mental health poll, 73% of Americans say the election is a trigger for their anxiety. With millions of Americans stressing over the same thing, is there anything you can do to lower those stress and anxiety levels?
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Marshall said doctors everywhere are seeing the election's negative impact on patients. She said it's important to note that stress and anxiety are a normal part of life, but knowing how much they impact your daily life is critical.
"Is it impacting your relationships, your ability to sleep?" Marshall asked. "Does it impact how you get up, get dressed, exercise, do daily tasks of living or impact your ability to concentrate or do work?"
Along with seeking professional help, Marshall said there are some simple things we can do to reduce some of the election stress.
"The one that I would focus on with the election is boundaries," Marshall explained. "Do you think about how much of this material you consume? And that's unique for everybody. It's really thinking about yourself and what happens when you're consuming that."
But you don’t have to take away all forms of media, Marshall said its more about redirecting your attention elsewhere.
"So if it's up there, you can choose not to read it, choose not to click on the story," Marshall said. "You can choose to click on something else that brings you joy and happiness."
Marshall said consuming election content isn't just what you watch or read on your TV or smartphone either.
"It's highly likely that this is a common conversation these days," she said. "So it could be something in your personal life, with friends and family that it's coming up. If I'm going to be having dinner with someone who's voting for a candidate I'm not voting for, I might want to set a boundary with them."
In the end, Marshall said it's all about finding things that make you happy and bring you joy. Like exercising, sleeping well and focusing on positive psychology strategies like gratitude.