Originally published in Healthline.com
If there’s one thing 2020 has had plenty of, it’s uncertainty.
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended much of our lives, creating financial, social, professional, and economic turmoil.
The election is no different, and as hundreds of millions of Americans wait to see who will be the next president of the United States, and which candidates will take a highly sought after seat in Congress, uncertainty is at an all-time high.
Over time, uncertainty can take a massive toll on our health. It can trigger anxiety and depressionTrusted Source and accelerate disease progression, especially when it comes to the heart.
The good news is that uncertainty often wanes and dips, and with a few helpful strategies, the stress of uncertainty can become much more manageable.
Here are six techniques mental health experts recommend trying if you’re living with uncertainty.
1. Take a break from the news
If the election’s waiting game has put you on edge, it’s probably worth stepping away from the news for a bit.
The constant 24/7 news cycle can be draining, especially since it could be a few days before we have a clear outcome.
One of the least helpful coping strategies is to get locked into the news and hyperfocus on every update, according to Dr. Sherry Benton, psychologist and founder of TAO Connect.
Rather than constantly refreshing your news apps or being glued to the TV, walk away from it and check in on the election every couple of hours. The results won’t change dramatically every 5 or 10 minutes, says Benton.
“I would definitely not recommend just continuously having news on in the background,” said Alisa Ruby Bash, a psychologist in Malibu, California.