Your guide to coping with election anxiety

Nervous about the election? Try these tips to stay calm. Editor’s note, November 3, 2026, 3 pm ET: This article was originally published in 2024 and has been updated for the 2026 midterm elections. If you’re heading to the polls today, you may be among the 30 percent of American voters who say the country’s political situation is the biggest source of stress in their lives right now, according to one poll. This unease makes sense, given how high the stakes are: Americans are voting for representatives who will make decisions about affordability , healthcare , and holding President Donald Trump to account . Elections are common wellsprings of anxiety because they’re rife with uncertainty, says David H. Rosmarin , the founder of the Center for Anxiety . It might be reproductive rights, the economy, immigration, or war abroad. For instance, you may come to realize a source of your anxiety is a decades-long ongoing foreign policy issue. Engage enough to stay informed, but step away if you feel overwhelmed, Lewis says. “Unless that’s your job,” she says, “there’s no need to be that consumed with it.” Rosmarin suggests turning off your phone and avoiding all news at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep, including on election night. “You’ll wake up in the morning, you’ll find out what the story is.