What can you do to ease anxiety ahead of Election Day?

SALT LAKE CITY — With one day until election day, many Utahns may be feeling anxious. KSL political analyst and host of Sunday Edition, Boyd Matheson, said while the first Tuesday of November can be stressful, the Wednesday after Election Day can maybe help put you at ease.

In Matheson’s editorial piece for KSL NewRadio’s Inside Sources, Matheson described the Wednesday morning moment.

“On Wednesday morning, everybody across this state and all across the country, they’re going to get up. They’re going to go to work. They’re going to help a neighbor in need. They’re going to coach Little League, volunteer to do something. And that’s actually the magic of America,” Matheson told KSL TV.

He explained the political system has conditioned voters that past elections are “all or nothing.” But in elections that have also been divisive, “we always figure out a way to move forward and move through it.”

Matheson said while easier said than done, it’s important to focus on the present instead of four years into the future. “Leadership happens in the present. Governing happens in the present. Being a good citizen happens in the present. And if we all do that, the country is going to be just fine. ”

For voters who haven’t cast their ballot, Matheson suggested having a plan before heading to the polls. He also hopes voters are reassured by the election process here in Utah.

“You can track your ballot from the time you put it in, to the time it gets counted,” he said. “If you’re worried about it, you can go to your county clerk. You can watch it, you can go right in and see it for yourself. And so we should have confidence. And that’s important for moving forward as well.”

If you’re still feeling anxious or stressed, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute suggested voters should set boundaries for a certain social situation, go on a “news diet,” know when to spot physical symptoms of anxiety and seek professional help if that anxiety doesn’t go away or gets worse.