Three Stressors Some People Are Experiencing at This Time

There are at least three issues going on at this time that are causing tremendous stress for people, including this writer. Those things affect many people instead of being reserved just for people with mental illness. Physicians and therapists say they are treating people who are going through three main public stressors without counting their own personal stressors.

The General Election for the President of the United States has a lot of people concerned, worried, and even stressed. No matter who wins the election, it will take the nation time to get back on track for Americans to feel comfortable again. During this year, there have been some major issues that have caused citizens to be concerned about the upcoming election, and rightfully so.

Tuesday, November 3, 2020 is the official day for the election. Usually, the results are revealed that night. This year, that might not be the case. More people have voted before election day, yet their ballots cannot be counted in advance. Additionally, some states have a longer time to count their ballots. Therefore, it might be some time before Americans will find out who their president will be for the next four years. The waiting will add another layer to the stress already associated with the election.

Since the first quarter of this year, many Americans have faced the worst disease of their lifetime. COVID-19 has caused the death of millions of people around the world, and the death toll is increasing day by day. No vaccine has been made and approved for the virus. Many families have lost loved ones, and no one knows who will be next to be exposed to the disease, get sick, and die. People are actually afraid of what will happen to them and their families.

Some people have been working from home most of this year. Children have been out of school since last spring. Therefore, isolation has added to the stress. Some have lost jobs and have no resources to pay their bills and to put food on the table for their families. Some churches are still closed. Those are stressors for many people because there is not much hope for a brighter future.

On November 1, 2o2o, daylight savings time (DST) changed. One might think that moving the time back one hour would not be a mental issue. However, it is.

Studies have proven that losing an hour of afternoon daylight can trigger mental illnesses that include bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression. There is about an 11 percent increase in depression cases after the time change.

Mental issues do not come because the clocks are turned back an hour. However, the change in the time of the sunrise and sunset can cause disruptions to the clock in your body known as the circadian rhythm.

Moving the clock back one hour does not have as many devastating effects as it does when the clock moves forward in the spring. Even so, there are still some changes the body has to get used to. Usually, it takes up to 10 weeks for people to adjust to the new time.

Soon after the time changes, people are at greater risk of mood disturbance, cardiovascular diseases, depression, suicide, and being involved in traffic accidents. There is also a higher risk of obesity because people tend to eat more than usual.

According to SleepFoundation.org, some people never fully get acclimated to the time change. Their circadian misalignment may become a permanent condition which leads to some serious health problems.

Help for Stress and Depression

Whether you are stressed because of the presidential election, COVID-19, or the time change, here are some tips to follow. Remember to take care of yourself, take breaks from listening to and reading upsetting content, meditate, and stay away from negative people who might make you feel worse than you already do. Seek professional help if you feel so overwhelmed that you can't deal with stress and depression on your own.