• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, June 27, 2024

Dreading political debates? Having nightmares about Super PACs? Perseverating over the latest polls? While Headspace, the meditation app, can’t do much to turn down the media maelstrom about looming elections, the company thinks it can quiet some of the noise in our heads. Headspace has partnered with When We All Vote, creating an Election Season Survival Guide, with a "Politics without Panic" content collection. The campaign also includes a portal to encourage voter registration.

When We All Vote, started by First Lady Michelle Obama, is a national, nonpartisan initiative dedicated to increasing participation in every election.

“We aim to show up for people’s mental health during high-stress times,” says Connie Chan Wang, Headspace’s senior vice president of marketing, in an email to Marketing Daily. “Based on search traffic to our website and trend data in our app, we know elections are incredibly stressful for our members and the general public.”

She adds that many people are already feeling dread about tonight’s debate. “We also wanted to get ahead of the U.K.’s general election coming up on July 4th, 2024, which is another primary market for us.” 

The initiative is based on research that, yes, election stress addles and undermines mental health around the world, with almost half the world heading into major elections this year. In the U.S., 73% of U.S. voters say they’re worried about the election, and 25% say those fears impact them at work.

Voting can help, Headspace experts say, because participating in the democratic process connects us to the community. The company points out that voting is especially important in this climate, with more than 500 voter suppression bills introduced since 2020.

The free toolkit starts with a quiz. (Turns out this author is an overwhelmed optimist.) Besides guided meditations and expert articles, the campaign also includes tips to help us worry less about the news and how to set boundaries and manage relationships amid political strife.

Chan Wang says  Headspace is launching a phased campaign, rolling out through November. “We’ll be dropping new content in-app every month until the election and showing up in local communities to help people decompress, exercise their right to vote, and take care of their minds during an uncertain and stressful time,” she says.

When We All Vote, launched by the former First Lady in 2018, features an all-star cast of co-chairs, including athletes like NBA legend Steph Curry and soccer star Megan Rapinoe,  Hollywood luminaries like Shonda Rhimes, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez, and musicians that include H.E.R., Becky G and Lin Manuel-Miranda.