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Voting 'no' to election stress: Local experts explain how to navigate election anxiety

If this election cycle has you stressed, you're not alone. Local therapist Emily Luna-Linares explained how she's seen it become more common over the years.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If the weight of election season has had you stressed out, you're certainly not alone. 

With mud-slinging commentary and social media posts, unsolicited opinions from strangers -- even family members -- it can be a lot to digest. 

Rest assured: You are not alone.

Emily Luna-Linares, a therapist with Family Counseling Service in Corpus Christi, shares how she has seen more election stress in the past few years working in mental health. 

She notes how beliefs differ greatly between generations. 

"People feeling misunderstood by their adult children, or their teenage children, or their grandparents," Luna-Linares said. "Generationally, there seems to be a lot of tension in political beliefs and a lot of impassioned beliefs that can really cause a lot of friction."

As a therapist, she shared how she's seeing some of the effects of those disagreements first-hand. 

"You can tell that it is affecting people because when it [politics] does come up in therapy or when they do talk about spending time with family, it’s kind of like they avoid it," she said. "They’ll mention spending time with family and they’ll say they’re anxious about it because of different, passionate opinions. Or maybe they don't even talk to certain families anymore because of their political views, or things like that." 

So what can you do? 

First, if you are someone who does enjoy having those conversations, it's important to understand that not everyone is going to match your energy. 

"It's really fun and exciting for a lot of people, too," Luna-Linares said. "It’s not so much a bad stressor or something they want to avoid, it’s something they do want to engage in. But just be mindful that not everybody feels that way; it’s not fun for just anybody. You can definitely tell if the other person is becoming more uncomfortable, or if it's going in a direction where less desirable emotions are coming up and it's really getting personal." 

On the other hand, if you happen to be the person who tends to tense up or would rather keep politics away the dinner table, there are tools you can try. 

"There's certain things that you can do to control what you’re exposed to, and there’s some things you can’t control what you’re exposed to; but you can decide what people you are willing to be around and what people you do want to just take a step back from," she said.

Also, take note of how you're being affected. 

"How's your breathing? How’s your heartrate? Like, where are you feeling the tension? Focus on that and tell your body that you’re safe, whether that’s breathing exercises or tension relaxation exercises," Luna-Linares said.

Many Texans, including those right here in the Coastal Bend, showed up in droves to take advantage of early voting, but if you're among the several who will be voting on Election Day Tuesday, Luna-Linares says even mentally preparing for the possibility of long lines could help.

"Prepare yourself for the long lines and people possibly wanting to make conversation in those lines, about politics," she said. "It’s okay to be assertive, and say, 'I'm not comfortable talking about it,' or 'Thank you, I don't wanna talk about that right now.' It’s perfectly respectable to assert yourself in that way."

Above all else, Luna-Linares advises moving in confidence will be your best bet in beating Election Day 'scaries' or anxiety, and remembering that voting is a privilege to take pride in. 

"You’re there to do something that’s really important," she said, "Voting is super important and to be proud that that’s what you're there to do." 

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