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Experts share tips to handle anxiety after election

From taking a break from the news to getting active, here's what experts recommend.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As Americans begin processing election results—which have sent former President Donald Trump to the White House for a second term—some may be feeling disappointed or even fearful.

We spoke with two experts to learn more about how to handle election anxiety or stress.

Rheeda Walker is a professor of psychology at Wayne State University. She has focused on how elections can impact mental health and stress levels. She said anyone struggling with the results of the election should allow themselves to process what they're feeling.

"It is important for those individuals, first and foremost, to just breathe and be with the feelings," Walker said. "They are understandable, and they have to have room to be able to just work through."

Walker said it may be particularly difficult for those who don't have friends with similar political views or whose coworkers disagree with them.

"It is hard when you don't have a sort of shared community of folks who have a similar experience," she said. "And I encourage those individuals to reach out to loved ones, to reach out to those who may have a similar experience, ask them what they're doing to cope. And don't always feel like there's a necessity of putting on a brave face or a smile if you have to take time for yourself."

Arash Javanbakht, the director of the Stress, Trauma and Anxiety Research Clinic at Wayne State University, said some of the heightened emotions people are feeling are due to politics becoming "fear-based." 

"People are getting exhausted, people are getting burned out, and they are tuning out by themselves, which is not great, because you want people to be politically excited and involved and engaged," he said.

Because of this, Javanbakht said he encourages his patients to limit how long they watch election coverage or scroll on social media by analyzing if there is a benefit to it.

"Let's say I'm watching my cable news one hour versus five hours, am I learning something new during the four additional hours, or am I just piling up negative emotions and energy and fear and frustration and anger?" he said.

Both Javanbakht and Walker agree that those struggling Wednesday and throughout the week should take time to "reset" themselves and do things they enjoy, like writing, creating art or being active.

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