CNN
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As the country wakes up to Donald Trump as the projected winner of the presidential election, there’s one thing we can all agree on — it’s been a long, hard-fought road to the White House.

Americans are tired, probably bruised and emotionally battered, and probably worried about what the next few weeks will bring to a bitterly divided nation.

Just like in 2020now is a good time to pause and analyze physical and emotional stress.

“How we view our stress actually matters to our health,” said Dr. Cynthia Ackrill, stress management expert and former editor for Contentment magazine, produced by American Institute of Stress.

“When the brain senses any source of danger, even if it’s just a worry of what might be, it will ramp up your stress level to keep you safe,” Ackrill said in an email.

“Thank your brain for doing its job, but reassure it that you’ve got it from here,” she added. “This can help you notice automatic reactions, stop automatic thought loops, and help you sort fact from fiction.”

Take a break or a breather and take care of yourself and your friends and neighbors. Here are key science-backed ways to give yourself a break.

Breathe, move and have a plan

You can use your body to calm your mind, experts say. Deep, slow abdominal breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system to counter signs of stress such as increased heart rate and an adrenaline rush.

“You don’t even have to stop what you’re doing. Just take a few slow, deep breaths and really feel the sensations in your body, said Cortland Dahl, author of A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism and chief contemplative officer for Innovations for healthy mindsa nonprofit organization that provides free wellness services. “A few mindful breaths can reset your nervous system and bring much-needed calm to your mind.”

Taking a walk can accomplish the same thing — walking in nature with an uplifting friend will add a stress-reducing bonus, Ackrill said.

“Plan to do something today with friends and a bonus if it’s outside — choose something that will nourish your mind, body, spirit, regardless of the outcome of the election,” she said.

Other recommended stress reduction tips include practicing gratitude and cutting out stressful news and social feeds. Do a circle of control exercise where you list what’s in your control, what you can influence, and what’s not in your control — and then don’t worry about what you can’t affect, Ackrill said.

“Everyone needs regular practice to notice when stress is taking hold and a (toolkit) of ways to deal with it. This includes mindfulness habits, healthy ways to frame life’s challenges, tools to reduce mental and physical effects, and ways to stay focused on how to thrive,” she said.

“Unfortunately, most of us haven’t been taught, so take this election stress as a challenge to face the next election with some healthy stress management practices.”

Emotions are like data, Ackrill said in an earlier interview, needed to tell you that you have needs that need to be met.

“Denying or stuffing your feelings doesn’t work,” she said. “Make room for processing real feelings: pain, disappointment, frustration, anger or guilt.

“The priority is to let go of that interaction, caring more about that other person than whether or not you won that argument — be human first,” Caroline Hopper, managing director of the Citizenship & American Identity Program at The Aspen Institute. in a previous interview.

The Aspen Institute sponsors The Better Arguments Projectwhich strives to create more productive arguments. These conversations don’t have to alienate people, the group says. In fact, by learning to argue “better,” we can come together, they say.

“We’re simply not getting the information we need to make informed decisions if we only engage with people who agree with us,” Hopper said. “By sharing different ideas and points of view, we often emerge with deeper understandings and stronger solutions to problems that affect us all.”