February 8, 2022, the scheduled date for the start of the national campaign period for the upcoming elections. Here, the information started to spread like wildfire. Even during the pandemic, the Filipinos have surged across the web and social media platforms to promote the people they would like to vote on. The campaigns, the platforms, much-awaited debates of the presidential candidates, and the history and capability of each candidate. A lot had already happened in a short period of time. Posts and videos, might share the truth, might be false, or worse, as biased as what the others call. The debates or conversations about the elections are happening anywhere. Choosing sides, whether you are family or not, continues as the candidates aim to gain the voters' trust. Different perspectives of the adults and the youth make the people’s feelings and decisions even more horrifying. The famous words saying “Vote wisely” resurfaced once more. It made the Filipinos remember, that you are who choose the people being placed in that government position. You who hold the ability to put them there for the betterment of the country, for the future of our generation, and for the next chapter of our history.

And at last, May 9, 2022 has come – the day of voting. As of writing, whenever I open any of my social media apps, it is filled with an incredible amount of posts, warnings, debates, and restless and tense people waiting for the results of the elections. The news continued to push and push, sharing the partial and unofficial results of the ballots. People became even tenser as their chosen candidate might win or not. Rants were seen in every post, positive or negative. They continue asking, “Ano na, Pilipinas? Ano ba ang ibig sabihin na maging Pilipino at ipaglaban ang Pilipinas?”

This is election anxiety, wherein people became agitated over the heavy and sensitive topics of elections. It is a “circumstantial or situational” form of anxiety as said by AJ Sunglao, a psychologist who was interviewed by Philippine Daily Inquirer (2022). People feeling election anxiety or stress may feel restless, tense, and on edge in everything they see, more so with the news of the results of the voting. The inability to sleep normally, a number of mixed feelings and the fear of what worse thing might happen. These emotions are real as you are emotionally invested in the situation which is currently happening. Not only do the elections affect you, but a small part of being in the pandemic adds more to the anxiety you feel. It makes you feel overwhelmed, and deeply concerned about your future, the others, and the country’s future too. You may even snap at others. Always feeling dread or the sinking feeling in your stomach. Questionable times, indeed, as anxiety weighs more than anything.

Nevertheless, health is important out of everything that is happening. Remind yourself of these things and never forget to release the election anxiety everyone is feeling right now.

Take time off from everything. Remember to take care of yourself. For a short time, mute all of your notifications and release all the tensions you are feeling. Opening the apps might trigger another anxiety or stress that is already building up inside.

Watch the news for at least 15 minutes. Even if you are resting, keep being informed. Listen to or read the accurate news sources to avoid seeing false information that will make you overthink and continue being tense. Be critical, engage consciously, and think wisely.

Avoid opinionated people and keep it to yourself. Do not engage in debates or conversations that might happen, in comments or replies to a post. Nasty and unpleasant words might show up because everyone, including you, is emotionally invested in the topic.

Hope that everything will be fine. No matter who wins, pray and hope that everything will be fine for everyone. This country is where we live and one that we love. Hope is one way of letting us breathe a little and change our perspective into something positive.

This election and the people elected from it will always be remembered or conversed about for the next six years. For the sake of your health, we should always remember that giving yourself some alone time grants you care in this time of great tension and uncertainty. Remain critical and be involved in things, but do not let it affect your health that would be even harder than the election anxiety everyone is feeling right now.