Stressed by the election cycle? Turns out, frayed nerves are rooted in the survival instinct — tribalism — that has kept humans alive for millennia.
So says Dr. Arash Javanbakht, founding director at Wayne State University’s Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic. He’s also the author of “AFRAID: Understanding the Purpose of Fear, and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety.”
Tribalism, Javanbakht explained, is the reason that people go to war, but it’s also why we coalesce around victims of natural disasters. Think alien-invasion movies that build to a montage of scenes from around the world as humankind fights for the planet against a common enemy.
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“This kind of a tribal tendency we have is not necessarily something bad,” he said. “Inherently with this comes the ability to trust each other when there is a serious threat coming from outside.”
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Tribalism can be exploited, though. It’s the reason people go to battle, taking up arms against strangers, he said. It’s also the reason that the current election cycle can be so draining and even damaging to your mental health. Both sides accuse the other of destroying the very foundation of American freedoms and democracy.
And while it’s important to stay informed and vote, it’s important to protect your mental health, too.
How?
Limit news
Watch one hour of news instead of four. Listen to reporters whose job isn’t a talking head bent on stoking your anger — the “drama queens” of news, Javanbakht said. Balance election news with news in art, sports, medicine, archaeology or whatever field you find interesting.
Stop doom-scrolling. Go old-school
Books can’t provide pop-up ads, noted Bill Chopik, an associate professor at Michigan State University’s Department of Psychology and who leads the Close Relationships Lab.
Find friends and do something
“If you’re playing volleyball, what are the odds that, during the game, a very fraught political discussion will happen?” Chopik noted.
Fight for common ground
If you’re going to talk politics, find the intersection of agreement. In a discussion over abortion, for example, start with ways to cut down unwanted pregnancies — something that both sides can work toward.
Don’t let your emotions be co-opted
“These political approaches have led us to start to believe that the other half of the country are idiots or evil,” Javanbakht said. “It is impossible for 50% of the country to be idiots and 50% to be extremely wise and intelligent.”
How do you wind down as we head into the final stretch of this election? Email rerb@bridgemi.com with those tips and comments.
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