We all know that our diet, sleep schedule and daily routine affect our health—but did you know that a stressful presidential election can also have an impact?
Even though months have passed since Trump was sworn into office, tension is still running high across the country. We've rarely been so culturally divided in a president's first 100 days. People of several different marginalized backgrounds have been targeted, creating constant fear. It's only logical that our health would be affected by such a toxic environment. The Boston Globe reports that last November's presidential election caused a lot of anxiety on both sides of the political aisle, leaving some distraught and some simply uncertain.
Situations like the election “can have negative health effects on people who have been direct targets of what they perceive as hostility or discrimination and on individuals and communities who feel vulnerable because they belong to a stigmatized, marginalized, or targeted group,” Harvard University scholar David R. Williams told New York Magazine. People belonging to these targeted groups are on edge every day, waiting how any new political decisions will affect their lives. According to New York Magazine, this stressful way of living can cause “increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, the common cold” and even death. Potential huge changes to immigration policy, health care and transgender rights are just a few of the distress triggers.
With a new president in office who seems to cause chaos and confusion at every turn, it's important for all of us to create our own communities of hope and acceptance.