Election Day Stress Relief for You and Your Child
Find out how you can stay calm and relaxed during Election Day.
Election Day has proven to be a tense and stressful time of year. In 2020, a similar poll found that two-thirds of Americans were anxious about the election, and about 8 in 10 Democrats say anxious describes how they are feeling now, up slightly from around three-quarters in the 2020 election. About two-thirds of Republicans report being anxious, up from 6 in 10 in 2020.
In a survey published by The Associated Press-NORC Research Center, for this year’s election. 69 percent of adults reported feeling frustrated with the current election cycle. The same amount reported that the election has left them feeling anxious.
According to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the anxiety felt during election time has a name, and is known as election stress disorder.
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“Our ‘toddler brain’ (emotional, all-or-nothing, “Mine! No!”) hijacks the ‘adult brain’, impairing its ability to take other perspectives, weigh evidence, see nuance, plan for the future, and create value and meaning,” Psychologist Steven Stosny, PhD, who coined the disorder, explains. “The ‘toddler brain’ is highly susceptible to emotional contagion; toddlers take on whatever negative emotions are around them, as any parent who has been tense or irritable near one can attest.”
Children also feel the effects of the political tension. They may notice that their parent or caregiver is on edge, or may be arguing more or talking less. They may notice that the television is constantly on news/election channels and this can cause confusion and stress for them. According to the Center for Child Counseling, here are a few steps you can take to help your child navigate and understand election season.
Limit/Monitor Social Media: During election season, there will be a lot of propaganda on social media as each party tries to convince their audience to vote against their running mate. Limiting what your child consumes on social is a great way to ensure that they are remaining present and not being fear-mongered.
Have Open Conversations: If your child is old enough, sit down and have a conversation. Explain to them what voting is, and what role people will be voting for. This is also a great opportunity to explain that adults and children may have different political opinions, but it’s okay to have different ideas and still be friends.
Model Behavior: Be a role model for your child. Try not to show any signs of anger, or disappointment or associate any negative feelings with voting and the election.
Fun Way the Family Can Destress
With election day less than a week away, the Marriott’s Aloft Hotels has partnered with local animal shelters to present ‘No Watch Pawties’. The family-friendly event will feature playful and adorable puppies to play with for a brief escape from the stress of the election.
Starting November 5th at 5 pm, families and singles alike can line up at the Aloft Hotel in Chelsea to play with loveable and adorable puppies from Rescue City. The dogs will be roaming free in a playpen and can be approached for pets and playtime. The puppies will be supervised by a representative from the shelter and will be cared for during the event.
“Everyone needs a chance to de-stress at the moment and we decided to share some of the comfort dogs bring both virtually and in-person this election season,” says Brian Jaymont, Global Brand Leader for Aloft Hotels. “We hope our No Watch Puppy Parties give people a chance to relax and reset, even if it’s only a couple of hours.”
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There will also be puppy-themed light bites such as pork and fish tacos, cauliflower wings, and a drink menu of mocktails and cocktails.
Using puppies to alleviate stress around election day has become popular throughout the years. Studies from John Hopkins University show that even just petting a dog lowers the stress hormone, cortisol, while the social interaction between people and their dogs actually increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin (the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies). Puppies are also known to help lower blood pressure, boost heart health, and ease loneliness and feelings of fear.
