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Weekly Now: Tips for Managing Pre-Election Stress

The American Psychological Association says we’re more stressed before next week’s election than we were four years ago. Also: Dolly Parton headlines a new charity single that supports the fight against breast cancer.

If you’re feeling a little on edge ahead of Election Day, you are in the same boat as around two thirds of the country.

That’s according to the American Psychological Association, which found in a recent survey that 68 percent of people described the 2020 election as a source of significant stress, up from 52 percent in 2016 and at some of the highest levels in the country’s history. The stress levels were bipartisan—with 76 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Republicans, and 64 percent of independents feeling the pressure—but felt more acutely among specific groups, such as Black adults and those with chronic health conditions, than in prior years.

A recent article from NPR, produced with APA’s input, broke down a series of tips for helping to calm down some of the frayed nerves that the election is generating—including suggestions to prepare for delayed results, to focus on stress-reducing habits, to avoid doom-scrolling, and to look for hopeful signs.

“What causes stress and uncertainty is when things feel out of our control, when they seem like we don’t know what’s going to happen,” APA psychologist Lynn Bufka told the outlet.

Other news highlights:

An e-commerce refresh. For those who sell items online, facilitating sales through the web can be harder than it looks. The organization that looks after the World Wide Web hopes to make sure that merchants have a role in making things better. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recently launched the Merchant Business Group with the goal of assessing web standards so they match e-commerce needs. “We want merchants to have a greater voice within W3C to ensure the Web meets their needs,” said Nick Telford-Reed, the W3C’s staff contact for the new business group. Among the founding members are Worldpay, Fiserv, Coles Supermarket Group, and Connexus.

Rolling out. The United Spinal Association wants to ensure that individuals with spinal cord injuries or disorders can make their way out of an emergency quickly and safely. The association is launching a new initiative, Ready to Roll, that makes them aware of tactics to consider during an emergency situation. “Being equipped both intellectually and physically for unexpected events can save lives, lessen the emotional impact and facilitate a quicker adjustment in times of transition,” United Spinal Chief Operating Officer Abby Ross said in a news release.

A Tuneful Message

Susan G. Komen’s mission to fight breast cancer has won many advocates over the years, along with a long association with the color pink.

But what if pink could simply become just another color—and breast cancer could be cured? That was the thought that singer-songwriter, producer, and artist Victoria Shaw had after seeing a Komen commercial on television—and, after working with someone who had recently gone through breast cancer treatment, she was inspired to write a song about it.

“I don’t know anybody that hasn’t been touched by breast cancer … and that was truly the catalyst for this song,” Shaw says, according to the Komen blog.

And that song is now a charity single for Susan G. Komen, complete with an all-star artist list—with country icons Dolly Parton and Sara Evans, R&B star Monica, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, and actress and singer Rita Wison taking part.

A portion of the song’s proceeds will support Komen’s mission.

ICYMI …

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At virtual events, attendee data is increasingly seen as valuable by sponsors, but how do you balance privacy needs for your attendees?

A toxic boss can have a negative effect throughout the culture. How can leaders keep things positive? Mark Athitakis has a few ideas.

(arsenisspyros/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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