This election may be the most stressful in our lifetime — How are you managing the stress?

I was getting coffee this morning at my local coffee bar when a complete stranger approached me with tears in her eyes.

“I can’t cope,” she said. “This election is so stressful.”

“I know,” I responded. “It’s hard on everyone.”

“I haven’t slept in weeks,” she said, tears now streaming down her cheeks. “What can I do?”

I didn’t know what to tell her. Each of us is coping in our own way.

Some people I know have stopped watching or listening to any news and abandoned the internet.

Others have become even more involved in the election — writing postcards, knocking on doors, getting out the vote. A few have relocated to battleground states where they can be even more active.

Others have created their own support groups, relying on friends to provide reassurance that Harris will win or to vent about the horrors of Trump’s fascism.

And others have taken up yoga or meditation or a musical instrument or hiking, or some other private activity that gives them some peace.

So in these last tense days before the 2024 election, today’s Office Hours question is for you: What’s your coping strategy for dealing with the stress of this election?

My strategy for coping with the stresses of the final week of this election:

Becoming even more activist.

Yoga, meditation, hiking, etc.

NOW READ: Donald Trump believes he’s going to lose

Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/