Is the impending Election Day making your eye twitch? Are you getting snappy with your loved ones? Checking polls and news updates like your life depends on it?

Anxiety about elections is reasonable, no matter which side of the political aisle you’re on. The people we elect and the policies they implement can affect many aspects of our daily lives — such as the economy, education, taxes and healthcare, to name a few. In today’s hyper-polarized world, politics can feel all-consuming at times.

But unmitigated election anxiety can harm your health.

Data show that Election Day and the uncertainty that sometimes follows can be hard on the heart, in particular.

A 2022 study found higher rates of acute cardiovascular disease in the five days following the 2020 presidential election than in the same period two weeks before the election. (Politically savvy readers might remember that the 2020 presidential election was not decided on Election Day or even early the next morning.…