This story appears in STYLECASTER’s Activism Issue, starring Jurnee Smollett. Click here for more.  

I need a drink. I’ve never been so stressed. That was terrifying. My anxiety is through the roof. These are just some of the texts and messages I received from friends following the first presidential debate of the 2020 election season. Personally, I was feeling all of the above and then some, and while it was comforting to know that I wasn’t alone in my despair, it brought to my attention the fact that my loved ones and I were not mentally prepared to handle a negative outcome in the upcoming election. It was through our collective post-debate trauma that I realized the importance of preserving mental health during election season—and the reality of just how damaging things can get if we don’t take this seriously.

2020 has been a trying time for virtually everyone, and