As Americans grapple with Election Day anxiety, coping mechanisms like drinking games emerge online

Tensions are high across the U.S. right now - even if many would just as soon tune it out. With Election Day anxiety at an overwhelming peak, Americans have devised some creative coping mechanisms to get them through at least Tuesday night.

While it's unlikely a clear frontrunner will emerge the same night the polls close (it took four days in 2020), the Internet is prepared with a plethora of ideas for handling the fallout.

Some presumably healthier options are out there: meditating, visiting church to pray, talking to crisis line volunteers, hanging out with some furry friends or engaging in a therapeutic activity like painting or watching calming videos.

But, if you've decided Election Day will be your day of indulgence, there are plenty of ideas for drinking bingo. Here are a few we've seen making the rounds - only to be used legally, responsibly and with a designated driver, of course.

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Pick a drinking game...responsibly

It's pretty easy to make a game of watching the results roll in. Select a drink of choice, throw together a few rules like a sip for certain keywords, a shot for certain state results and so on.

If you're not feeling particularly imaginative, however, other creatives have already made their own sets of rules to follow. For a customized experience, pick and choose what you like and pull it all together in Frankenstein fashion.

Account @liquorstore352 on TikTok, for example, on which creator "Liquor Store Bro" has made several viral videos of drinking games for other events like the Super Bowl, laid out his rules for election night, which include drinking a non-alcoholic beer if Donald Trump wins one of 43 non-swing states and a swig of wine if Kamala Harris does.

For the seven swing states, however, things get a little heavier with a shot of Fireball whiskey for a Trump win or a shot of Rumple Minze Schnapps for a Harris win.

On some platforms like Etsy or simply Google, you can find pre-prepared and printable Election Day drinking game sheets. In one purchased from Etsy and shared on TikTok, the rules are outlined as taking one or two sips or finishing your drink based on certain buzzwords or events that come up in news coverage.

Someone saying "battleground state" is one sip, for example, a presenter explaining the electoral college is two sips and your favored candidate winning a state is finishing your drink.

Users on other social platforms threw together their own lists, likewise encouraging drinks after certain developments or when certain words are said. One game suggests taking a drink every time a news anchor says "too close to call" and two sips "every time Florida or Pennsylvania is specifically highlighted." You only get to take a shot when the race is called, however.

If that's not intense enough for you and your ilk, another user-shared game on X, formerly Twitter, jumps straight to the liquor shots. If you're going to down hard liquor every time someone mispronounces Kamala or, even better (worse?), a double every time Trump says "cheating." With this one, you may want to make sure you are not scheduled for a morning shift on Wednesday.

Some more "official" avenues put out their own boozy bingo sheets and cocktail ideas too, including the New York Post, The Free Press, The Phoneix New Times, Slate Magazine and even a few from us at USA TODAY - if you're willing to repurpose some debate ideas, anyway.

As your mother has likely told you, drinking heavily isn't necessarily a good solution to any problem. Just one night during a historic election, however, we can let slide - just be sure to follow the proper hangover prevention tips before you hit the hay tonight.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Americans battling Election Day anxiety devise creative plans, drinking games