On Election Day, a Vote for Taking Care of Yourself

Maybe your plans for tonight are to stay glued to the television and your phone, monitoring the returns of every county in Pennsylvania and tallying each electoral college vote. Maybe you plan to check in at 10 p.m. and see how election results are shaping up. Maybe you’re going to tuck yourself in at 8 p.m. and just wake up on Wednesday to learn who won and who lost.

However you spend Election Day, election anxiety is real. A recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that 69% of American adults say that the election is a significant source of stress in their lives, and 77% say that they’re worrying about the future of the country.

“What I’m hearing (from students and colleagues) is a lot of uncertainty,” said Allison Asarch, psychologist and coordinator for outreach and consultation services at the University of Maryland’s Counseling Center. “People are understandably feeling stressed about not knowing what’s going to happen and the ways in which our lives might change based on what occurs.”

Some practices can help reduce the unsettled feelings leading up to, on and following Election Day. Here are a few strategies for defusing anxiety.

• Vote. “Exercising your right to vote is such an important way to know that you’ve done what you can to influence the situation in whatever way feels right to you,” said Asarch.
• Find routine. Whether it’s doing what you always do on a Tuesday (going to your regular classes, grocery shopping, attending a standing team meeting) or trying a new activity intended to reduce the stress of the day (finding a meditation class, joining a friendly gathering to watch results come in), add some structure to your day. “Elements of routine make it so that it doesn’t feel like your whole day is waiting” for results, said Asarch.
• Stay grounded. Do something that will make you feel calm and centered. That might be taking a walk through your neighborhood to enjoy the fall colors, taking a few minutes to practice intentional breathing techniques or calling a loved one who always brightens your day.
• Consume media wisely. Consider what kinds of media raise your blood pressure. Do you feel panicky while endlessly scrolling social media, or hearing the repetitive chatter of cable news commentators? Make a plan to check the news in a way that feels comfortable for you, whether that’s reading a reliable online news source every half-hour or turning on the radio as you go about your evening tasks.
• Do something the day after the election. The election might not be decided on Nov. 5, so our election uncertainty may drag on for a while. Make sure you have some structure on Nov. 6 and in the following days, while still allowing for lingering stress. “Whether we have results or not, it probably won’t feel like a normal day,” said Asarch. “We want to leave space for us to take care of ourselves and connect with others.”