This past week marked the end of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with the popular vote and Electoral College selecting former President Donald Trump to serve for the upcoming term. Leading up to the election, there was an underlying current of anxiety on campus, and it’s likely that you’re still feeling the effects of this after the results—maybe even more than before. Often when we are anxious, we begin to shut down, wishing to remain isolated from the rest of the world. It is easy to stay in a state of high tension, but this may only lead to us feeling lonely and upset.

It is somewhat surreal to have to go on with your life, class and exams in the midst of such a possibly life-changing event. Those in Generation Z, perhaps more than any other young generation before us, are incredibly involved and interested in U.S. and world politics. This is in part due to our increased connectivity through technological access and education. For many of us, this is the first presidential election we are participating in. Students who feel as if their rights could be yanked away at any moment have felt particularly anxious during this time, wondering whether the outcome of this election could bolster the spread of blatant hate, disrespect and further political division.

Yet the reality is that remaining in a constant state of anxiety about something that ultimately cannot be changed is not a productive use of our time. It is important to remember that we can lean on others at times when we may feel helpless, and doing so requires that we don’t fall into a trap of self-isolation or pity. If we don’t voice our concerns out loud or through writing, they may never be fully processed. As a result, we might miss out on opportunities to challenge our negative thoughts, staying stuck in a detrimental cycle. It is likely that those you are friends with also care a lot about the election or at least have some thoughts on it. By finding a community of people who may be feeling the same way as you or have some sort of silver lining to share, you may feel better. This can also backfire, though, if the people around you are nervous about the state of the world. It is important to look at the current circumstances without an alarmist mindset by reminding yourself that everything in your life is not going to suddenly flip on its head because of an election—that is the point of the multiple branches of government and our democracy: to protect our rights.

For marginalized communities in particular, this can be a difficult realization to come to, especially when you may experience casual microaggressions in your daily life. It can be easy to accept defeat by believing everything will automatically become tenfold more difficult as your mind begins to jump to all the harmful things you may have heard from the other side or news outlets. The bad experiences tend to stick with us the most, but we need to remember that just because a candidate has won or lost doesn’t mean that our lives will immediately take a 180-degree turn. There are many people who share your same sentiments and will work to keep from letting that happen.

University Health and Counseling Services created a list of tips to help us deal with election stress. First, you can limit “your consumption of social media, images, and news stories.” Decreasing our social media intake can be very beneficial to our mental health at this time. There has been a barrage of information from news outlets and social media, fighting to get our attention and predicting why we should be concerned about our future. Yet this barrage of information is not helpful in the short term. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you should take a step back from the internet. Delete social media if you have to, turn off news notifications or block certain words from showing up in your feed. We should also “[e]ngage with people and communities you trust. When you need a break from election stress, you can suggest that the group avoid talking about politics.” Your friends should be able to respect your concerns at the moment and be able to shift the discussion to a lighter topic until you begin to feel better. Lastly, we must be able to “[r]estore [ourselves] with rest and healthy food.” Making time to make sure we are well-rested and nourished will help us in all aspects of our mental health. Food and rest will give us energy that we can put into our daily tasks or having a productive conversation with others.

And, of course, if the results of this election are still weighing on you, reach out to the university’s counseling services in order to speak with a professional. Try to make the conscious decision not to let stress from the election weigh you down. We’re all in this together.