Separating People from Politics Helps People Survive Election Seasons

Politics can impact personal health and well-being, which as we have all experienced, can impact close relationships as well.

Yet in the same way that people face other seasonal stressors, there are strategies to survive the political season as well.

Examining Chronic Stress, Seasonal Affect

Many people look forward to the changing of the seasons, seeing summer’s green leaves explode with vibrant color in the fall, settling in to think about celebrating the holidays. But when economic struggles create seasonal stress, family planning takes a back seat to budget.

Yet stress does not only pay a visit for the holidays, or during an election cycle.

Brett Q. Ford et al. (2023) in "The Political is Personal," define chronic stress as "insidious and open-ended, stemming from issues that are regularly evoked in daily life."

They note this is a good definition of how many Americans experience politics.

This is particularly true when financial concerns are fueled by allegations that a particular political party is responsible for rising costs.

Considering politics as a form of chronic stress, Ford et al. (ibid.) note that it routinely generates negative emotions which could jeopardize psychological and even physical well-being.

As we all know, this impacts personal relationships as well.

Relationship Survival Strategies for Political Seasons

For many people, when it comes to politics, overconsumption results in over-reaction. Yet even when political information appears unavoidable, there are ways to soften the impact.

Ford et al. (supra) acknowledge that people use a variety of tools to temper emotional response to stressful events, which should work in politics too.

These include cognitive reappraisal to view a particular circumstance as not as bad as it seems, focusing on the silver lining, or using distraction or avoidance to escape upsetting news.

In addition to changing the channel, Ford et al. (supra) also note the prevalence of expressive suppression in daily life, which involves hiding emotions from others.

Yet different strategies differ in effectiveness.

Ford et al. (supra) recognize cognitive reappraisal as particularly useful at decreasing negative emotion, even in the face of what they refer to as "evocative" political events, with distraction showing to be an effective method of managing political stress as well.

But regarding interpersonal relationships, they note that expressive suppression, although largely unstudied within a political context has been found to be unhelpful for reducing negative emotional experiences in other areas, or even susceptible to backfiring. This is particularly relevant when examining exactly how political stress impacts personal relationships.

Politics and Personal Relationships

As many people experience around the Thanksgiving table as the focus shifts from polls to poultry, political views impact personal relationships.

Ford et al. (supra) note that some people project politics-related negative emotions onto relatives, close friends, or even romantic partners who hold different views.

They note the opposite is true as well: many people bond over similar political ideas.

Beyond personal relationships, politics can also impact job satisfaction and professional motivation, potentially impairing performance.

We can assume that because professional relationships are an important part of job satisfaction, the relational impact of political ideology makes a difference here too.

The bottom line appears to be that weathering the political season personally and interpersonally requires intentional strategies for success.

Ford et al. (supra) recognize that although multiple forms of emotion regulation can help manage the daily stress of politics, reappraisal and distraction are the ones that are most likely to actually make people feel better.

Using these strategies, along with evergreen relationship-enhancers such as kindness, compassion, patience, and respect, can help maintain rewarding relationships with loved ones, fueled by the age-old truth that there is more that unites us than divides us.

This column was originally published in Psychology Today.

Wendy L. Patrick, JD, MDiv, Ph.D., is an award-winning career trial attorney and media commentator. She is host of "Live with Dr. Wendy" on KCBQ, and a daily guest on other media outlets, delivering a lively mix of flash, substance, and style. Read Dr. Wendy L. Patrick's Reports — More Here.