According to Harris Poll, over half of US citizens are stressed due to the election season. The national stress level has significantly risen ever since this election season kicked off last year. The fact that both presidential candidates are controversial figures followed by scandals is not helping the mental peace of the voters, either.
Harris Poll conducted a survey for the American Psychological Association, asking US voters if they consider the election season an unwarranted source of stress. According to the answers, 52 percent of Americans over 18 years old stated that ever since last year when candidates were battling for their party’s nomination, they feel more stressed than usual.
Joe Nunes, the marketing department chief at the Southern California University declared that the lagged effect of the elections might also be influenced by their investment and spending patterns. Before another president is elected, people tend to be cautious with their long term investments, thus making the market stagnate.
However, Nunes also points out that the APA study is based on an online questionnaire that coincided with the recent scandals revolving around the Republican candidate.
The marketing specialist also stated that people have a tendency to become more stressed when faced with impending change.
News channels are also a big influencing factor, generating more stress via all the breaking news about the negative features of the candidates. Some sources make it appear like Donald Trump will be the catalyst of WWIII, while others believe that Hillary Clinton will corporatize the United States.
Such constant pressure influences the mental equilibrium of voters, making them feel like they have to choose between two evils, their selection being responsible not just for the future of the country, but also for the fate of the entire humankind.
The APA suggests that people who feel that their stress level has increased because of the enormous pressure generate by this election season should limit their media consumption. Specialists claim that people can stay informed while also distancing themselves from the subject that is harming their lifestyle.
Moreover, another advice from the authors of the cited study is to avoid discussing the upcoming elections if the interlocutors seem to be ready for a heated argument.
What about you? Are feeling more stress than usual during this election season?
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