Election day in the U.S. is here. And Canadians are stressed — for their southern cousins and for themselves. Will America vote for four more years of Trump, or choose a new direction with Joe Biden?
Pondering the possibilities is exhausting. Luckily, the legendary Tracy Chapman is here to soothe everyone with a new performance of her 1988 classic folk song, “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution,” which was shown on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” Monday night.
It’s a simple performance, with Chapman’s clear, beautiful voice accompanied by her guitar, as she sings straight to camera the lyrics that feel as relevant as ever:
Don’t you know
They’re talkin’ ’bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
At the end, Chapman modifies the lyrics and sings, “Go vote, go vote.” As she walks away, a small sign behind her says, “Vote.”
It’s Chapman’s first televised appearance since she sang “Stand By Me” in 2015 (also excellent and soothing) on “The Late Show with David Letterman” as part of his farewell week. Ahead of this most recent performance, Chapman issued a statement via Pitchfork, saying, “This is the most important election of our lifetime. It is imperative that everyone vote to restore our democracy.”
As we watch the results unfold over the course of today and possibly the rest of the week, feelings of anxiety may roll in and out. There are other ways you can cope with anxiety in the moment. Here are three easy ones to try:
Practice box breathing
Box breathing is a simple technique that is widely used to relieve feelings of anxiety by calming your nervous system. Simply breathe in through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for four counts, exhale through your nose or mouth for four counts, pause for four counts, and start again. The video above from ABC Life is adorable and easy to follow. You can read more about other breathing techniques that can help ease election anxiety (or anxiety in general) on Yahoo Life.
Go for a walk or exercise (outdoors if possible)
It’s going to be a long night watching results, so before you settle in on the couch, take advantage of the fading daylight and head out for a quick walk, run or workout outside, if you can.
Studies show over and over that exercise helps lower anxiety levels — even just a 10-minute walk can help. If you can get out into nature, all the better, as being amongst the trees can help lower your heart rate, blood pressure and lift your mood. If not, take a quick dance break in the kitchen and shake it off.
Pet a furry friend
This tactic requires that you have an adorable pet on hand, but it really works. A Washington State University study showed that students who had 10 minutes of direct interaction with cats and dogs had lower cortisol levels in their saliva samples — cortisol is our “stress hormone” — than the students who did not. So as you’re glued to the screen tonight, don’t forget to give your pup or kitteh lots of love — it’ll be good for you both.
More on HuffPost: