Keep tabs on your mental health following Election Day (November 3). "Election Stress Disorder" is real.
"Now in 2020, we're nine months into a pandemic and also the two parties are so divided that the only thing they agree on is that the end of the world is coming if the adversary gets elected, so now we're faced with enormous stress,” Dr. Allan Stewart told NBC Miami. He leads the Cardiovascular Surgical Programs for HCA East Florida’s Miami-Dade facilities.
Doctors say that hospitalizations for issues like strokes and heart attacks almost doubled a couple days after the 2016 election. If you have don't have any heart complications, Dr. Stewart said you can't stress yourself into a heart attack.
“What we are focused on are the people who do have pre-existing problems and now have this huge increase of adrenaline in their bodies, so their hearts racing, they're short of breath, they start sweating, and really get themselves worked up into a frenzy,” Dr. Stewart said.
With all that said, there are self-care methods you can do for a couple days after Tuesday. Dr. Stewart said to keep M.E.D.S. in mind, which stands for meditation, exercise, diet and sleep. The South Florida doctor also recommends using apps that provide free meditations that focus your breathing.
"Aside from voting and getting everyone else to vote, we really can’t do much for the outcome," he said. "So it’s going to be what it is and we are going to have to move forward as a country."
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