How to Avoid Election Day Anxiety

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How are you planning on spending election day? If the 2020 election has you feeling more than a tad anxious you’re not alone! According to NPR, a recent survey carried out by the American Psychological Association found that a whopping 70 percent of Americans suffer stress during an election.
To avoid stress on Tuesday, November 3, take a deep breath and focus on these five things to help minimize election day stress.
Quit Doomscrolling
Continually scrolling through social media for updates, or tuning into 24/7 news can only heighten feelings of election day anxiety. With so many contentious headlines and nasty comments on social media, Tuesday may be a great day to stash that phone away out of reach and unplug the TV for a few hours. “Doom Scrolling” on social media can make it really hard to concentrate on anything productive and can make people feel tired, overwhelmed, and worn out by the current political climate.
Replace Social Media with Something Positive
Instead of scrolling through social media on election day, choose something else instead such as listening to music, downloading that new book you’ve been waiting to read, or binge-watching your favorite light-hearted show.
Plan a Fun Get Together with Friends
Have a group of friends who are also fed up with all the political stress? Instead of sitting at home anxiously waiting for the results why not get together with a group of friends for a “no political talk” dinner at a restaurant you have been wanting to try, or throw a potluck meal at home.
Get Out and Exercise
According to the New York Times, studies have linked aerobic exercise to “improved emotional regulation and the growth of new neurons.” If you feel yourself start to get anxious about election day results head out for a 30-minute walk or run to blow off steam.
Meditate
Taking just five minutes out of your day to practice deep breathing or listen to a guided meditation app can help ease stress levels immensely. According to Headspace, the company behind the successful meditation app, “meditation can help with stress and anxiety by reframing our relationship with our thoughts…and can help us replace our “stress response” with a “relaxation response.”