Managing Your Mental Health this Election Season Strategy: Set and Maintain Boundaries

There’s never a more pertinent time for boundaries than when interacting with others around high-emotion topics, such as the election. Boundaries support our mental health by allowing us to interact with others without sacrificing ourselves. When we have healthy boundaries, we are safer and more comfortable in our own choices, and that extends into our relationships.

You may need more stringent boundaries around the election if any of the following apply to you:

• People in your life vote differently than you do
• People in your life are either more or less politically engaged than you are
• People in your life have different values than yours

Boundaries include setting rules for how you will engage in a relationship. That might look like identifying and naming what behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable to maintain your safety. Boundaries are not about changing another person’s behaviors but are about setting clear expectations and limits that respect and honor your needs and values while interacting with others. 

Here are a few examples of boundaries you might want or need to set this election season:

• I prefer not to discuss politics (at work/with family, etc.).
• I know that political conversations can get heated, and I respect our relationship. If this conversation begins to get heated, I am going to stop it and discuss other topics instead.
• I am not interested in discussing the election at this time. If the election comes up, I will respectfully leave the conversation.
• Let’s discuss something else. What are you doing this weekend?
• I am okay discussing this for a few minutes, but then let’s discuss something else.

Remember, boundaries don’t set limits on other people, but only affect areas in which you have control. Setting boundaries allows us to interact in a way that makes us feel safe, comfortable and respected. This supports healthy relationships with others, which is critical to strong mental health this election season.