Gayle Weill | Source | Licensed Psychotherapist (LCSW) | Founder at Gayle Weill LCSW LLC

Thoughts on how to cope with political/election anxiety:
"This is something many people become anxious about and it’s okay to feel anxious - it means you care about the wellbeing of the country. Caring isn’t a bad thing. It does become problematic though when it turns into anxiety that interferes with activities of daily living. It’s important to recognize that you can have political opinions and want a certain candidate to win, but you otherwise have very limited control about what the outcome of the election will be. So focus on what you can actually control. For example, you have control over who you vote for, you have control over educating yourself and others regarding making informed political decisions.
I also recommend limiting media exposure. I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t know what’s going on in the world, rather I’m suggesting that constantly focusing on the news, and getting frequent updates daily, can only make anxiety worse.
Lastly, and this is more controversial advice- remember that although politics are polarizing, both strongly identifying Democrats and strongly identifying Republicans do have one thing in common- and that’s the fact that they both care about the wellbeing of the country and how it should be run. The issue is that they have very different opinions about how to go about doing that. Keep in mind that the other party is not necessarily horrible just because they believe different things about what’s best for the country. Consider, educate yourself, and be open to other perspectives."

Many people think of a mantra of something strange and otherworldly—something only super spiritual people understand or use. But a mantra is actually a fairly simple and straightforward concept, says Gayle Weill, LCSW, clinical social worker with expertise in Mindfulness-Based Therapy.

“There is so much mystery surrounding the word ‘mantra,’ but it just refers to any word or syllable that you repeat during a meditation session,” Weill says. “Some mantras come from specific spiritual traditions (for example, ‘om; is a common mantra that's considered a sacred syllable in Hinduism), while others are simply words that are meaningful to you as an individual.”

Adds Gayle Weill, LCSW, a social worker in New York and Connecticut: “Studies have shown that plants and gardening aid in decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression, while increasing productivity and serotonin levels, the neurotransmitter responsible for uplifting mood.”