TAMPA, Fla. — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and with voters heading to the polls, the process can feel a little overwhelming.
The constant stream of political ads, social media posts, and headlines can take a toll on someone’s mental health.
Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan covers mental health and spoke to Clara Reynolds from the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay about how you can cope with election day stress and anxiety.
“Remember to take some deep breaths. Exercise and move your body around. You will be surprised. You've been storing up all of this feeling, all this emotion. Moving will really help you be able to manage those feelings. And then again, you want to make sure that you're doing something with those feelings and emotions. Put them into action, get involved. That's so very important,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds also spoke about how to deal with the isolation feeling surrounding that you can’t talk to someone who you used to be friends with because your political views are different.
“So, if that's somebody that you value in your life, try to find some common ground. Remember when they were your friend before this political environment, and maybe just have a conversation. Be vulnerable in that moment,” said Reynolds.
She continued, “I bet you will find that that person would value having that conversation with you. And if you can come to a truce of, you know what, we're just going to agree to disagree in this political space, but we're going to find commonality so we can continue to have the relationship.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call the suicide and Crisis Lifeline any time of day at 988. They will answer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Share Your Story with Wendy
Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan is dedicated to helping our neighbors navigate the important topic of mental health. For years, she’s been connecting people to resources, listening to their challenges, and sharing their stories to decrease the stigma. You can connect with Wendy by using the form below.
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