If you thought your 2020 stress would magically disappear after the yelling stopped, you might have been surprised to find that you were still worried after the results of the presidential election.
“For the majority of people, the stress actually didn’t decrease,” said Vaile Wright, a psychiatrist and also a member of the American Psychiatrist Association. The group recently released some numbers that might explain your extra high heart rate.
According to the survey by the APA, 17% of Americans did have their stress go down. However, almost 30% said their stress increased.
And it’s not a party issue. Over 80% of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all listed the future of our nation as a significant source of stress
“It’s not just whatever side won, it happens to be everybody right now really being concerned about the future of the nation,” said Wright.
And three-fourths of Americans are still seriously stressed about the pandemic
“We’ve seen increased levels of stress related to the federal response around the pandemic and that really does come down to the inconsistent messaging that we’re seeing. Different people are disproportionately affected by the pandemic specifically, but I don’t think anyone is related to the stress of it, especially as the numbers continue to climb,” said Wright.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Vaile says that there are some things happening that may help lower your blood pressure.
“If we can hear some more good news, health news, like effective vaccines move to the market. The more that we have information that’s clear and consistent, that’s science based and that comes from reputable sources, I think those are the kinds of things that can reduce stress,” said Wright.
Better coronavirus news combined with the possibility that President-elect Joe Biden can do a better job uniting the country can give Americans something to hope for as we head into 2021.