What’s your plan for handling election anxiety?

Are you feeling anxious about the election? You’re not alone.  

Seven in 10 adults said the election was a significant source of stress in their lives, according to an annual survey by the American Psychological Association.

Many voters are feeling a sense of unease and foreboding as we move into the final hours of a presidential election that both candidates have described as a vote on the future of the nation.

The news has been full of stories about election anxiety. Religious groups, college campuses and workplace mental health providers are offering strategies and spaces for people to cope with the uncertainty.

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with guests and listeners about why election anxiety is so pervasive and how to make plans for managing the stress and protecting your mental health as the votes are counted.

Guests:

• Catherine Squires is professor emerita of communication studies and served as associate dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Recently she was the senior fellow in residence at the African American Leadership Forum in the Twin Cities. She is a writer and yoga practitioner who uses movement and storytelling to support healing change.   

• Michelle Sherman is a clinical psychologist in private practice. She is board certified in couple and family psychology and is a fellow of the American Psychological Association. She was a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School and also worked with military families through VA Health Care. She has published resources for teenagers and adults with family members living with a mental illness or history of trauma.   

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.