Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Uncertainty Is Stressful': How To Cope With The Angsty Election Wait
ABC News: Election Stress? Here Are 8 Apps To Support Your Mental Health
"One thing that we as humans do not like is uncertainty and unpredictability," said Dr. Mark Seery, a researcher on stress and coping at the University of Buffalo, during a 2018 interview with "Good Morning America."Dr. Tania Israel, a professor of counseling psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, agreed. "Uncertainty is stressful," Israel told ABC News. "The election, the global pandemic and social unrest are all adding to a sense of uncertainty in our lives." While many are experiencing intense emotions right now, stress is normal and there are steps and strategies we can take to cope. (Kindelan and Bernabe, 11/4)
The New York Times: Stress Relief Tips To Relieve Election Anxiety
While there’s nothing you can do to speed election results or a coronavirus vaccine, you do have the power to take care of yourself. Neuroscientists, psychologists and meditation experts offered advice about the big and small things you can do to calm down. Here are 10 things you can try to release anxiety, gain perspective and gird yourself for whatever comes next. (Parker-Pope, 11/2)
HealthLine: 5 Ways To Stay Calm This Election Day
Many Americans are worried about the consequences for their own lives and others if their preferred candidate loses. The stakes for some community members are particularly high. While some stressors fall outside the average individual’s ability to control, there are steps that people can take to manage election-related stress. Here are five strategies that may help calm your nerves on Election Day. (Grey, 11/3)
The Wall Street Journal: Election Anxiety? TV Shows About Nothing Aim To Help America Chill
The entertainment industry is trying to meet our stressed-out national moment by making television that works like a sedative. Several new shows released during the pandemic and some old ones are pitched as background music for anxious times. In an era of binge-and-burn TV, these shows are the opposite, designed to be watched on repeat without a cliffhanger in sight. (Gamerman, 11/4)
The New York Times: Weight Training May Help Ease Anxiety
Roiled by concerns about the pandemic and politics? Lifting weights might help, according to a timely new study of anxiety and resistance training. The study, which involved healthy young adults, barbells and lunges, indicates that regular weight training substantially reduces anxiety, a finding with particular relevance during these unsettling, bumpy days. We already have plenty of evidence that exercise helps stave off depression and other mental ills, and that exercise can elevate feelings of happiness and contentment. But most past studies of exercise and moods have looked at the effects of aerobic exercise, like running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. (Reynolds, 11/4)
