Opinion: How to know if you should take a break from politics
With the election approaching, some politically engaged students have reached a point of political overload. This article includes a list of five warning signs that can help indicate whether or not you should take a little break for the sake of your own sanity.
Photography by Haley Scull/The Barnard Bulletin
November 1, 2024
Every night when I lay in bed, I curl myself into a little ball and relax knowing that I will soon enter the blissful state of sleep in which my brain will be wiped clean for the next day. However, the recent fanatical political climate has become so intrusive that Donald Trump has now arrived in my dreams — or rather nightmares.
As a political science major, I learn about politics. As a Politics & Opinion staff writer at The Bulletin, I write and read about politics. As an active citizen of the United States, I am politics.
I have found little to no space in my life to escape from the blinding lights of BLUE V. RED, and now I am questioning the extent one can focus on it before one’s mental stability is threatened. This dilemma is not specific to me; in fact, 7 out of 10 Americans report feeling anxious about the upcoming election — a percentage distinctly higher from previous elections.
Therefore, to help those who are wondering whether or not they should be concerned by their political engagement level and their relative sanity, I’ve provided a list of five warning signs below that you may be reaching your political threshold and some personal time away from the political sphere may be necessary to maintain your inner peace.
Politicians are now main characters in your dreams.
If any politician, yes even Pete Buttigieg, has entered your personal sleep space, it may be time to take a little break from political media consumption. Kamala and Tim do not belong in your time of rest and relaxation. Sleep should be apolitical. Sleep should be therapeutic… not therapy-inducing.
Your conversations always end up being political.
When was the last time you had a whole conversation without mentioning the election? Without mentioning abortion rights? Without mentioning the fate of our democracy? Not all conversations need to be about existential crises of our world, sometimes superficial and shallow topics that roll off your tongue (like debates about Taylor Swift or the recent Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest) are required as a recharging station for your mind.
Your TikTok feed has become a reel of Dean Withers and Kamala HQ.
If your social media apps have become solely hubs of fear-mongering tactics to scare you about a future Trump presidency, it may be time to close your phone. Yes, fear might be a good campaign tactic to motivate voters, but your life does not need to be a campaign effort. Kamala begging you, a broke college student, for money on your Instagram feed every two swipes is a guilt trap.
You have been keeping track of time by today’s date relative to the election.
If you ask yourself what day it is and proceed to reassure yourself that it’s four days before the election… you need to take a step back, my friend. The world does not center around this election, even if it may feel as if it does, we must remember Galileo is still correct to this day.
You can’t stop watching the polls.
Regularly checking the polls? Do your thumbs seem to keep typing “538 polls” or “New York Times Election Polls” on your phone? Upon seeing the ridiculously terrifying proximities of these two starkly different candidates, do you begin to shake? Well, it's time to take a breather.
Look, this is a decisive moment in American history, one in which the results could negatively impact millions of individuals, especially women and people of marginalized identities. However, your mental sanity will not impact the results. Being politically engaged is essential to retain the integrity of America’s democracy, but there is a limit to political involvement before it takes an obsessive hold on one’s life. It’s important to take care of yourself and heed these signs. Sometimes you can make the most impact when there is a division between your personal sanity and the political world, for you can contribute your best work and thoughts when well-rested and mentally charged.