Election Day is fast approaching and could be followed by a long wait for results that might leave some voters feeling especially anxious. 

Ashley Huggins, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona Department of Psychology who specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder and fear response, spoke with University of Arizona News about managing election-related anxiety. 

Q: Why do delays in election results cause anxiety?

A: Uncertainty across the board tends to make people really anxious, and this is not specific to elections. In the context of something like that, many people could feel there are pretty high stakes with waiting for the election results. That period of not knowing can really exacerbate how anxious someone is feeling, and it is largely out of someone's control. We don't know, necessarily, when we're going to get results or what those results are going to be. 

Q: What strategies do you recommend for managing this anxiety?

A: The best thing to do is just figure out ways to cope with those feelings of anxiety. You can take time to do other things you enjoy. You can read a book, go for a walk, spend time with loved ones or your support system. It's important to set boundaries for how much attention you're giving to election news. 

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Q: Why doesn't seeking more information help?

A: There's a natural urge to try to seek out more and more information because we don't like the uncertainty of not knowing. But getting more information doesn't necessarily change the uncertainty. It can give people an illusion of control in some ways because you're getting more information, but it doesn't lead to anything tangible. It just can make you more anxious and upset. If you're scrolling social media nonstop, you might find that you could get more and more worked up as you see more and more information. Just being aware of what is potentially causing you to feel anxious or angry or sad – and setting boundaries to try to avoid leaning into that – would help.

Q: Can election anxiety affect people who don't closely follow politics?

A: If you are around people who are feeling strong emotions of any kind – be it anxiety or anger or sadness – I think it's a fairly normal response to be empathic. Also, it's normal to feel some of that yourself, even if you may not have anticipated that based on your current engagement with whatever event is triggering those emotional responses.

Q: When should someone consider professional help?

A: If you find that this is really getting in the way of your ability to go about with your day-to-day life, it's certainly potentially worth seeking out a mental health professional. But I would anticipate that for many people, this feeling might not necessarily be specific to this period.