For many women, the 2024 presidential election felt personal. In the days since Nov. 4, women reported feeling anxious, angry, sad, and even hopeless. Research suggests that politics in general, and election cycles in particular, have become a major source of stress for most Americans, but women were more likely than men to worry about how the election results would directly affect their lives. Similarly, research on the 2016 election found that women reported higher levels of stress, anxiety, and fear after the election than men.
Issues affecting women were frequently discussed throughout the election season. A wide range of opinions and policy proposals created significant uncertainty about the future. What would the future of healthcare for women look like? Would laws regarding equality in the workplace be changed or maintained? Many women worry about how to manage tension in their relationships with loved ones who share different opinions. Even with the election decided, uncertainty remains. No one knows what policy areas will be prioritized or what laws will be passed. How will the new administration affect women’s daily lives?
A main anxiety factor is intolerance of uncertainty. Anxious minds like to know what is going to happen and how we will deal with it. After the election, there is some reasonable uncertainty, because the government is proposing real changes. When reasonable uncertainty exists, troubleshooting and advance planning may be warranted. However, anxiety can also produce unreasonable uncertainty, also known as “catastrophic,” where you jump to worst-case scenarios, without evidence to support the worry in the present moment.
In the face of unreasonable uncertainty, we take steps to try to gain control, including Googling, asking for reassurance, planning ahead for every possible outcome or avoiding it. Some may be thinking that all those certainty-seeking behaviors are necessary to protect themselves from negative outcomes. But when we stay in the present moment, we can notice that many of these behaviors are actually attempts to protect ourselves against uncomfortable emotions. Unfortunately, these same behaviors keep us stuck in a state of anxiety, thinking about terrifying possibilities and fueling more doubt.
Instead of fighting uncertainty, we can practice accepting discomfort. Acceptance means willingness to feel all emotions, without escaping or avoiding them. Acceptance is not approval, permission or appreciation. It’s simply saying, “I know I can’t change this, so I’ll allow myself to feel whatever I need to feel.”
This doesn’t mean that women should accept changes they don’t agree with! But accepting emotions is not accepting politics. Acceptance means recognizing that in our current political climate, the feeling of uncertainty about the future is likely to remain for some time.
Instead of taking actions based on fear, we can practice choosing behaviors that support your values. Values-based actions may include volunteering in your local community or calling on your state’s representatives in local, state, and federal government.
If you are a woman feeling anxious and angry after the election, you are not alone. Many are dealing with the uncertainty of not knowing what changes are coming. Accepting these difficult emotions can help you choose more effective ways to respond.
This publication is brought to you in collaboration with the ADAA Women’s Mental Health SIG. Learn more about GIS.
