Bipolar disorder anxiety and voting.
It’s time to vote here in the United States and as always, I’m amazed at how anxiety can rear up and affect our ability to do the things in life we hold dear! Voting is an amazing right and experience, but for people with anxiety, it can be a stressful time. Here are a few suggestions that I used myself to get my vote recorded. We have a mail in ballot in my state and even thought I pushed the deadline close, I got my ballot finished and sent in!
1. Recognize that anxiety around voting is absolutely normal and you are not alone if all of the little dots and squiggles you have to figure out are causing you a bit of brain alarm. That is ok! You are normal!
2. Focus on how you will feel after you vote. Remind yourself that anxiety won’t kill you- even if it feels like it will. Getting out tomorrow and making a difference can create GREAT feelings afterwards. Not voting due to anxiety might be far more stressful if the illness wins.
I want to encourage all of us to vote- even if voting feels a bit overwhelming right now. As I say in Get it Done When You’re Depressed. You don’t have to feel motivated to get things done. You don’t have to feel good. You don’t even have to feel that you can make a difference! Instead, you can focus on the doing. Get out there and vote no matter what. Fight that anxious feeling and ask for help. Get someone to go to the polls with you. Ask for help to fill out a ballot if needed.
We can do this!
Julie
