The 2020 U.S. election was stressful for many people. A poll conducted by a research company found that the election was a cause of stress in 49 per cent of people. Only COVID-19 caused more stress. The poll found that 55 per cent of adults believed that November the 3rd, 2020 was the most stressful day of the year. Most people said they couldn't imagine being more stressed than they were and wanted 2020 to be over. The co-founder of a self-care app said: "It's not just the election anxiety - this year has been a marathon of stress. These are not normal times."
Months of non-stop news made many people stressed. They baked to make themselves feel better. Stress baking rose in popularity. More cakes and bread went into ovens in the run-up to the election. Stress baking is now a top-five self-care practice. The poll found that 27 per cent of people baked to relieve stress. However, 41 per cent of people said the stress of 2020 caused them to gain weight. One woman said baking reduced her election stress. She said: "I'm prepared and have a post-election plan. In reality, we probably won't have a clear winner for weeks after election day."