Feeling stressed about the election? Here's what some are doing and what they say you can do too

If the high stakes presidential election is causing troublesome thoughts, existential dread or rifts with loved ones, there’s no need to white knuckle through it.

Take a deep breath. Literally.

Meditation and mindfulness teacher Rosie Acosta says focusing on each inhale and exhale can help regain that grounding sense of control that may be drowned out by the spiraling uncertainty of election season. Experts like Acosta, who works in Southern California for Headspace, a mental health company and app, want those struggling to know there are ways to lighten election-induced stress and navigate related tensions.

“I can control how I’m breathing. … I can use my mindfulness practice and stay in the present moment, instead of worrying about what the outcome is going to be with an election,” said Acosta, who contributed the guided meditations “Surviving Dinner Table Debates” and “Compassion During Campaign Season” to Headspace’s “politics without panic” collection.

“You forget how much power we actually have over this tension and this anxiety.”

This year’s campaign has already witnessed unexpected twists and turns with President Joe Biden’s exit from the race and Vice President Kamala Harris’ quick ascendance among Democrats as well as  assassination attempts  targeting Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump.

And roughly 3 in 4 American adults  believe the upcoming presidential election is vital to the future of U.S. democracy, although which candidate they think poses the greater threat depends on their political leanings, according to a survey from The  Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Acosta recalled how, back in 2016, political divisions seeped into a Christmas family gathering, turning an occasion for joy, connection and nostalgia into a “ground for verbal war.”

In navigating the aftermath, she said she learned to establish boundaries in the relationship with a relative and to focus on things that brought them together, rather than drew them apart. That could mean saying "'We’re not talking about this right now; let’s talk about something else,’” disengaging from an unhelpful conversation, ignoring a sent political meme, she said, or bringing up a shared memory, instead of discussing the latest news.

“Mindfulness and meditation really help us reframe our relationships — our relationships in general, but, specifically, our relationship to our thoughts,” she said.

Headspace has also partnered with When We all Vote, a national nonpartisan voting initiative created by former first lady Michelle Obama, to provide eligible voters with some free resources to ease election-season anxiety. There's a stress quiz to determine if you’re “the collected constituent,” “the overwhelmed optimist,” “the weary worrier,” or “the politically panicked.” The partnership also includes a voting registration portal.

“This is really intended to reach folks regardless of political affiliation or points of view,” said Headspace’s president, Christine Evans. “Regardless of who you are, you deserve mental health and support when you need it.”

The Rev. Cynthia O’Brien often sees some people getting especially nervous around Thanksgiving.

“Thanksgiving is people you love, but you might not see all the time,” she said. “I hear people saying, ‘Oh, my relatives in Texas think I have gone off the deep end, that they won’t talk to me,’ or 'my sister-in-law and I aren’t speaking’ and it’s simply the political polarization that has come between.”

One suggestion, she said, is not to have such conversations at the dinner table and opt instead for one-on-one chats.

O’Brien is no stranger to being in a room with people with different ideologies.

Based in Oregon, she’s the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Woodburn and Aurora Presbyterian Church, with small congregations that include conservatives and progressives.

She’s also a national debate chair and a workshop moderator with Braver Angels, a nonprofit that does depolarization work. Workshops she moderates include ones teaching skills for disagreeing better.

“We’re not trying to smooth over differences. We’re teaching skills to bring out the differences in a responsible, loving, caring way," she said.

Goals include having more understanding of the values and concerns of those who differ politically. Workshop participants are taught to listen carefully, acknowledge the other’s view before sharing their own, pivot to signal they’re about to share theirs and exchange perspectives such as by sharing a personal story behind their viewpoint or the source of information for their position.

They’re instructed to let go of the expectation of convincing others that they’re wrong.

“Our democracy requires us to talk through the disagreement and not just to shout at each other,” O’Brien said.

Dr. Petros Levounis, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said “people who feel particularly anxious about the election should rest assured that they are not alone.”

He stressed the importance of taking care of one’s physical health, getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising regularly. While such practices may sound “a little banal,” he said, “they’re just so central to our well-being.”

Also, make time to relax and “perhaps having some breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness; these are things that people have found quite helpful.”

Levounis cautioned against relying on alcohol to calm nerves, saying it “invariably increases anxiety in the long run and I’m not talking about months and years. ... A few hours after heavy consumption of alcohol, the anxiety increases."

In the cases when anxiety becomes debilitating and is interfering with work or life at home, he recommends talking to a mental health professional or one’s primary care physician.

Some universities have also been providing their students with resources to manage election stress.

“We definitely have some students that really think a lot about politics and are aware of how that impacts them,” said Shauna Olson Hong, director of counseling services at California State University, East Bay. Those include some from LGBTQ+ communities or who are undocumented or have family members who are, she said.

The counseling center has been offering tips online. Those include limiting news intake, being especially careful about checking news immediately before sleep, vetting news sources to follow reputable ones and being mindful of social media use.

Other suggestions include seeking support and thinking about ways to be engaged and to affect positive change while maintaining balance.

“Just sitting around and worrying and feeling like I don’t have any control over what’s going to happen to me is a terrible place to sit and I think that really builds our anxiety,” said Hong. “So trying to take realistic action to speak out for what we believe in.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta, looks on in her sun room Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

A detail view of notes is seen in the studio space of Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

A detail view of a note card is seen in the studio space of Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

A detail view of the hands of Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta, is seen as she meditates in her studio Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

A detail view of items is seen in the studio space of Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta, meditates in her studio Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta, looks on in her living room Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

A detail view of a book is seen in the studio space of Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta, interacts with her dogs in her sun room Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Headspace meditation teacher Rosie Acosta poses for a portrait in her living room, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Headspace meditation teacher, Rosie Acosta, meditates in her studio with her dog Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Hurricane Milton dropped to a Category 4 early Wednesday as it churns toward Florida's west coast. The National Hurricane Center had predicted it would likely weaken, but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.

The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century.

Follow AP’s coverage of tropical weather at https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes.

Here’s the latest:

A couple blocks from the Peace River, Ted Gjerde worked up a sweat Wednesday morning as he prepared his home for up to 12-feet of storm surge. His house sits on a 10-foot hill but that might not be enough protection.

The retiree has spent his life dealing with water — 23 years in the Navy running boilers followed by 20 years working at a nearby state water plant — so he had a plan. He had piled sandbags in front of his garage and put plywood and caulk on the interior of his doors.

“Hopefully, that should get me to 13 or 14 feet up,” he said before giving a mock, “Yay.”

He would spend the storm at the treatment plant, 25-feet above sea level, with his wife and their two German shepherds. His 1967 Chevy Camaro was already there.

Two weeks ago, Helene’s surge had unexpectedly gotten to the bottom of his garage door — a couple more feet and his classic car and his house would have been in trouble. Nearby homes that aren’t elevated got swamped.

“We got lucky, real lucky,” Gjerde said.

“ I don’t think there’s any way around that,” he said at a Wednesday morning briefing.

Tropical storm warnings were issued as far north as Savannah, roughly 200 miles from the projected path of the hurricane’s center.

Storm surge of 2 to 4 feet was forecast for Georgia communities including St. Simons Island, home to nearly 16,000 people, and Tybee Island, which has population of 3,100. Wind gusts of up to 45 mph could break off large tree limbs, topple shallow-rooted trees and cause scattered power outages, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said to people choosing to remain home on barrier islands, “just know that if you get 10 feet of storm surge, you can’t just hunker down with that.”

“If you’re on the southern part of this storm, you are going to get storm surge,” DeSantis said.

“It’s churning massive amounts of water, and that water is going to come out,” he added. “Man, if you’re anywhere in the eye or south, you are going to get major storm surge.”

And it will remain closed Thursday, according to a statement on the airport’s website.

“We plan to resume operations on Friday, Oct. 11, but that will depend on a damage assessment and staffing,” the statement said.

The closing includes the airport terminal, car rental agencies and parking facilities.

“Florida will not stand for looting — we will not stand for it. We will come after you,” said Mark Glass, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The models were developed before the storm, with plans specific to various parts of the state, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

The plans will be used to project where the most damage will likely be, based on the hurricane’s last position and movement at landfall, he said.

That includes 6,000 Florida National Guard members and 3,000 members of the National Guard from other states.

“This is the largest Florida National Guard search and rescue mobilization in the entire history of the state of Florida,” he said during a Wednesday morning briefing.

There are 31,000 people in shelters and there’s room for nearly 200,000 people, “so there is space available in these shelters,” he said.

The National Weather Service in Miami posted a photo on the social platform X of the funnel crossing the highway Wednesday morning with the words: “TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!”

“The roads and the interstates, they are flowing,” he said, but added that traffic conditions could deteriorate as the day goes on Wednesday.

But in a Wednesday morning briefing, the governor said highway patrol cars with sirens are escorting gasoline tanker trucks to get them through traffic to refill the supply.

“And they are continuing with the fuel escorts as we speak,” he said.

In the Port Charlotte area, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Tampa, officials said water pressure would be lowered Wednesday morning.

Utility operations for Charlotte County also would be suspended at noon. Officials said on the county’s webpage that storm surge and heavy rainfall will inundate the sewer system, making it difficult for wastewater to flow properly.

Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.

“We must be prepared for a major, major impact to the west coast of Florida,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday.

As of Wednesday morning, the storm was about 210 miles (340 kilometers) southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph).

But there were no immediate strong winds. Most businesses were closed as people finished storm preparations and got to the location where they’ll ride out the storm.

They’re also providing other key information, such as shelter locations. On Wednesday morning, Pinellas County sent people text messages, emails and direct cellphone calls to warn of the dangers. Similar methods are used in neighboring Hillsborough County and other locations.

“This is it, folks,” Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins said at a Wednesday morning news conference. “Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out and you need to get out now.”

Perkins said 13 public shelters are open for people with no other option to escape the storm and that major bridges around Tampa Bay would begin closing in the afternoon. Perkins also said people should not feel a sense of relief because of indications Milton might come ashore south of Tampa.

“Everybody in Tampa Bay should assume we are going to be ground zero.,” she said.

Human-caused climate change boosted a devastating Hurricane Helene ’s rainfall by about 10% and intensified its winds by about 11%, scientists said in a new flash study released just as a strengthening Hurricane Milton threatens the Florida coast less than two weeks later.

The warming climate boosted Helene’s wind speeds by about 13 mph (21 kph), and made the high sea temperatures that fueled the storm 200 to 500 times more likely, World Weather Attribution calculated Wednesday from Europe. Ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico were about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above average, WWA said.

“Hurricane Helene and the storms that were happening in the region anyway have all been amplified by the fact that the air is warmer and can hold more moisture, which meant that the rainfall totals — which, even without climate change, would have been incredibly high given the circumstances — were even higher,” Ben Clarke, a study co-author and a climate researcher at Imperial College London, said in an interview.

Milton will likely be similarly juiced, the authors said.

The scientists warned that continued burning of fossil fuels will lead to more hurricanes like Helene, with “unimaginable” floods well inland, not just on coasts. Many of those who died in Helene fell victim to massive inland flooding, rather than high winds.

▶ Read more about the effects of climate change on hurricanes.

In Charlotte Harbor, about two blocks from the water, Josh Parks spent Wednesday morning packing his Kia sedan with his clothes and other belongings from his small triplex apartment.

The clouds were swirling and the winds had begun to gust. Two weeks ago, Helene’s surge brought about 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water to the neighborhood, its streets still filled with waterlogged furniture, torn out drywall and other debris.

“It’s a ghost town around here,” said Parks, an auto technician.

His roommate had already fled and Parks wasn’t sure when he would be back.

“I told her to pack like you aren’t coming back,” said Parks, who was fleeing to his daughter’s inland home.

Law enforcement vehicles blocked the bridge from the mainland to the barrier island of St. Pete Beach on Wednesday morning, where as of Tuesday evening, officials had closed down access to this string of low-lying barrier islands that jut out into the Gulf.

All residents in these low-lying communities west of the city of St. Petersburg are under mandatory evacuation orders, as another storm bears down less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene killed 12 people in the Tampa Bay area, including residents who didn’t leave – and then drowned in their homes.

At a park bench on the side of the road that cuts through the small island of Deadman Key, plastic bags stuffed with clothes and a shopping cart full of someone’s personal belongings sat in the blowing rain, seemingly abandoned by its owner ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected impact.

Three boats were already dashed against a low-lying seawall and under a bridge, apparently casualties from Helene, which sent deadly storm surge into scores of homes in Pinellas County, even as the eye of that storm stayed 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore from this stretch of the coast.

Officials are warning that a direct hit from Hurricane Milton would bring far greater risks to this part of the state.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday morning issued the watch, which includes a vast part of Florida, including the Tampa area, the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County.

“We’ve seen a lot of questions about, ‘well I live on a creek,’ or ‘I live on a river, is it really going to get 10 to 15 feet where I live?,’” Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi said in a briefing early Wednesday.

“That storm surge is going to start at 10 or 15 feet near the coastline and then it’s going to travel,” she said. “And storm surge likes to go on the path of least resistance. So those of you that live near a river, that live near a creek, those river banks, their water will come up.”

“We do not want you staying in your home if you’re anywhere near a body of water,” Tapfumaneyi said.

“This is going to be an intense disaster for Sarasota County,” she added. “Evacuate now if you have not done so already.”

Boards on the window of a store display a message ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Members of the Florida Army National Guard stage on a beach as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A boarded up business stands beside a deserted street in an evacuation zone, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Anna Maria, Fla., on Anna Maria Island, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)