I bet you have a lot of people in your life (or at least in your social feeds) who are very active politically. Does it bother you? Because a recent study (you can read more HERE) shows that politics can interfere with everything from our emotional stability to our physical well-being.
“A lot of people are saying that they find politics to be a significant source of stress; that it’s affecting their sleep, it’s affecting their relationships, and it’s affecting their family life," said Cleveland Clinic’s Joseph Rock, PsyD, who did not take part in the study.
As many as 30 percent of the people surveyed said politics triggered feelings of anger, frustration, hate, guilt or led them to make comments they later regretted.
Dr. Rock said part of the problem is that we can’t get away from political news anymore. And when we put a lot of focus on things over which we have no immediate control...let's face it, there's very little in politics we can control...it can be a recipe for mental distress.
Dr. Rock recommends taking breaks from politics and instead, focusing on the three things we can control - our thoughts, our decisions and our actions. He said the key is to give yourself permission to occasionally ‘check out’ of the news cycle.
I'm not saying to not get involved or to not voice your opinion. I'm just saying that, if it does start to affect you, step back and take a break.
(WXYZ) Photo: Getty/Digital Vision