197. Navigating Political Anxiety: Mindfulness, Tribalism, and Emotional Triggers Before Election Day. Part 1 of 2.

In many of our past episodes we’ve uncovered aspects of emotions that can come up when we’re stressed plus this month we’re looking into the topic of conflict so today’s episode goes into both these areas by looking at the political anxiety many of us may be experiencing around the upcoming Presidential election. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum we seem to all experiencing the same sensation of fear resulting from the polarization we’re feeling. We thought it might be helpful to take a deeper look at this by exploring the what and the why when it comes to feeling this way, particularly as election day approaches. We’ll call on 3 experts to guide us: Rick Hanson, Amy Chua, and Drew Westen Ph.D. Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and New York Times best-selling author. His books include Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha's Brain, Just One Thing, Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness. He’ll help us learn more about mindfulness and emotional regulation.   And Amy Chua is author of the Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations. She is a noted expert in the fields of ethnic conflict and globalization and will help us learn about tribalism and identity politics.   Drew Westen, author The Political Brain, The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation, is a clinical, personality, and political psychologist and neuroscientist. He will help us see how emotions, particularly fear and anger influence politics.   This will be a 2 part series. This is the episode covering the pre-election and the other will be post-election.   Topics Covered: Political Anxiety Defined Rick Hanson’s Concept of “Paper Tiger Paranoia” Virtuous Conduct Tribalism and Identity Politics (Amy Chua) Emotions in Politics (Drew Westen) Statistics on the 2024 Election Campaign (Pew Research Center) Mindfulness, Empathy, and Connection   Here are 3 takeaways from our episode:   1.     Political anxiety, driven by high-stakes issues like abortion and climate change, is often intensified by our brain's tendency to overestimate threats, known as "paper tiger paranoia." Mindfulness can help manage these fears by grounding us in reality and reducing the sense of being overwhelmed. 2.     Tribalism, as described by Amy Chua, worsens political anxiety by creating an "us vs. them" mentality. While polarization grows, she remains optimistic that local, community-driven efforts can bridge divides and foster empathy. 3.     Emotions in politics play a major role in voter decision-making, with campaigns often exploiting fear and anger. Drew Westen highlights that positive emotions, like hope and authenticity, can inspire greater political engagement and help alleviate political anxiety.   Mentioned in the Episode:   Rick Hanson: https://www.amazon.com/   Let Be, Let Go, Let In 15-Minute Guided Meditation   https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/anxious-about-election/   https://rickhanson.com/dos-and-donts-of-virtuous-conduct/   https://rickhanson.com/topics-for-personal-growth/navigating-political-turmoil/   https://rickhanson.com/how-to-promote-healthy-human-politics/   Amy Chua, Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations https://www.amazon.com/   Drew Weston, The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation https://www.amazon.com/   https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/10/10/voters-feelings-about-the-2024-campaign-and-election-outcomes-concerns-about-political-violence/   Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/peace-wild-things-0/ How to reach Yo Canny:    Our Store: www.girltaketheleadpod.com/store    Our Website: www.girltaketheleadpod.com  You can send a message or voicemail there. We’d love to hear from you!   email: [email protected]   FB group: Girl, Take the Lead https://www.facebook.com/groups/272025931481748/?ref=share   IG: yocanny (Yo)   YouTube   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yocanny/