Last-minute tips for coping with election stress and anxiety, according to experts

A majority of Americans say they’re feeling stressed by the presidential election, and emotions and tensions continue to mount in the final countdown to Election Day.

“Like everybody else, there’s a lot of nervousness and angst,” California voter Kay Hanley told CBS News.

“Democrats and Republicans tell us that they feel that democracy is under threat. So all of that, at the very least, puts high stakes into this election,” CBS News Elections and Surveys Director Anthony Salvanto said, noting that people are feeling the pressure no matter their political party. 

So, how can we keep that stress and anxiety in check? Here’s what experts around the country suggest: 

Exercise: While it may be the last thing on your mind, getting in some movement or other activities you enjoy can help decrease stress. 

For example, don’t neglect “typical self-care routines that we all have that include the physical activation; engaging in activities that are pleasurable; making sure that discussions that we have with friends or family members are not necessarily around the topics that are currently stressful,” Dr. Emanuel Maidenberg, clinical professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA, told CBS News Minnesota.

Try to establish some boundaries for your own well-being.

“We have a natural tendency to want to feel in control, and the elections can undermine that feeling of control,” psychologist Dr. Susan Albers of the Cleveland Clinic previously told CBS Pittsburgh. “…We need to focus on what we can control versus what we can’t, whether that is your daily routine, exercise and self-care.”

Stay off or limit social media: “Use it to get information and not validation,” stress management expert Jon Gordon told CBS News. “Don’t tie your identity or your own mental health to what you’re watching.”

Falling into “doomscrolling,” or spending excessive time reading news that upsets you, can impact you in a negative way. 

“Being exposed to so many news that are not always positive or happy or encouraging leads to more sense of distress,” Maidenberg said. 

Psychiatrist Dr. Sue Varma recently told CBS News she suggests setting a timer on social media apps to limit doomscrolling and setting boundaries on phone notifications. 

“It’s really important to have and carve out sacred spaces throughout your day where you don’t have constant notifications,” she said. “(For) a lot of people — when you’re having conversations, you’re at the dinner table — that the phone is constantly telling you, moment by moment, what’s happening in the news, and that’s really hard to pay attention, to be productive, to be able to connect with family members.”

Avoid talking politics: Make your voice heard at the ballot box, rather than in tense conversations, experts say. 

“For election-related stress, being engaged in the political process is an important way to manage our stress,” American Psychological Association CEO Arthur C. Evans said.

Election stress in kids

It’s not just adults who are feeling election-related anxiety. Even those too young to vote can feel stress around the election, especially if they see how their parents are handling their emotions.

Dr. Matt Edelstein, a clinical psychologist with the Kennedy Krieger Institute, told CBS News Baltimore that parents should discuss the emotions of election season with their children. 

“Acknowledge their stress,” Edelstein said. “It validates their feelings and helps them connect what they are feeling to what’s really happening in the world.”

Edelstein also suggests managing overwhelming media exposure.

“What’s important is that we explain our emotions to our kids and model how we can have emotions and still be regulated and rational,” he said.