Election seasons often evoke a mix of emotions, ranging from hope for the future to intense worry over what may come. A 2024 study from the American Psychiatric Association shows that U.S. adults are feeling increasingly anxious; 43% say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, and 73% are especially worried about the 2024 U.S. election (73%). Turning anxiety into hope, at least in our mind, can be the key.
In her book Future Tense, Tracy Dennis-Tiwary explores how we can shape our future thinking to amplify anxiety or foster resilience. Understanding this difference can help us transform worry into hope and become more adaptable during elections and in high-stress environments.
Anxiety as a Tool for Preparation
We can choose to view anxiety as helpful information. By identifying a situation’s negative and positive potential outcomes, we can better prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. The big challenge is managing expectations. Rollo May’s The Meaning of Anxiety emphasizes that while it can feel “terrifying or frustrating” to reconcile our expectations with reality, this process harnesses our creative power, allowing us to “transform from neurotic anxiety to live with normal anxiety.”
Managing Expectations
Normal anxiety is healthy and productive; it pushes us to adapt and engage in challenges without overwhelming us. Neurotic anxiety, however, arises from trying to avoid discomfort altogether, leaving us defensive and stuck. Learning to manage and accept normal anxiety enables us to navigate change constructively.
How to Turn Anxiety into Hope and Positivity
- Identify the positive intention: First of all, remember that every worry has a positive intention, a reason to be! Try to identify what is so important for you to resolve and work on it first. Being anxious is not bad, it is just a way to remind you that there is something to be done. Do it and move forward.
- Acknowledge and Accept Uncertainty: Instead of dwelling solely on potential adverse impacts, balance them with possible benefits. While focusing only on what might go wrong is tempting, remember that uncertainty can also open doors for new opportunities and growth.
- Actively Prepare for Multiple Outcomes: Convert your anxiety into actionable steps for different scenarios. For instance, if you’re worried about changes in your industry due to policy shifts, start building new skills or expanding your network. This transforms anxiety into preparedness and allows you to confidently face the future.
- Engage with Your Creative Power: Remember, as Rollo May describes, the conflict between expectation and reality can be frustrating, but it’s also an invitation to reimagine and reframe. Channel your energy toward creative solutions and visualize yourself thriving, no matter the outcome.
- Build a Future-Oriented Mindset: Practice visualizing positive future scenarios and consider the actions you need to bring them to life. This approach empowers you to stay hopeful and proactive, reducing the likelihood of feeling stuck.
- Practice distancing techniques: Distancing involves creating a mental space between yourself and your thoughts, allowing you to observe them from a neutral perspective. This technique lets you break the automatic connection between your mind and the negative thoughts, allowing you to analyze them objectively.
- Choose hope: As you work to shift your mindset from anxiety to hope, it requires the same mental effort to focus on the positive as it does the negative. Each outcome is equally possible, 50-50, yet when you choose to expect a positive outlook while preparing thoroughly for all scenarios, you allow your brain to stay more open and adaptable. We are not talking about being toxic positive, we are talking about being hopeful instead of anxious. This openness helps you see new perspectives and enhances your ability to respond creatively and confidently, even in challenging situations. In doing so, you transform anxiety from a source of stress into a powerful tool for growth and resilience.
By consciously managing anxiety, you can choose how to react. Embracing a balanced, hopeful perspective doesn’t mean ignoring potential pitfalls; it allows us to approach them with an open mind. Thinking optimistically enhances performance and creativity, helping us respond resourcefully to unexpected outcomes. It’s about seeing each challenge as a way to survive and thrive, transforming anxiety into a more hopeful, productive future.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need personalized support to streamline your time management, boost productivity, or prepare for the final stretch of the year, consider one-on-one coaching. As a certified career coach, I help high-achieving professionals develop practical strategies tailored to their unique needs, from timeboxing to overcoming burnout. Let’s work together to help you achieve your goals with less stress and more confidence. Book a free discovery session here.
