Fleeting Feelings

Dunn co-authored a study on the 2004 presidential election of John Kerry v that former governor from Texas. Again, "winners" and "losers" overestimated how good or bad they would feel a couple of days later, with one exception: People who scored high on a test for Emotional Intelligence (identified as high-EM) were better at predicting how they would actually feel afterwards. The researchers concluded: "In essence, high-EM individuals have an intuitive understanding of one of the central conclusions of happiness research ... Well-being depends less on the objective events one encounters than on how those events are construed, dealt with, and shared with others."

So, share. If your candidate wins, "Enjoy it," says happiness blogger Rubin. "Elation is a great thing." To keep the feeling going, suggests Dunn, "keep reading about your candidate, keep paying attention to what he's doing. That way you can keep reaping enjoyment." Call a friend who shares your politics. Have a post-election celebratory drink.

Take a Blog-Break

And if he just lost? "Get enough sleep and stop reading the blogs," suggests Rubin. And yes, congregate. "One key to happiness is strong social bonds,"she says. "When we're upset, we often have an urge to isolate ourselves. But it's better to put yourself where you'll interact with other people."

Rubin even sees a bright side for both winners and losers. "Everyone in this country has been so energized by this election," she says. "For a major democracy, that's something everyone can be happy about."

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