Politics and social media are like macaroni and cheese–the really spicy kind with habañero peppers. Take one wrong bite, and you get burned. Once politicians realized how much attention they could gather just by doubling their Facebook posts and tweets from the 2012 election, it took off. Now, the election feels like it’s been going for decades, and your Canadian friends are wondering when it will all be over. Despite the heat of the current political season, if you take care, you can still engage with your friends on social media.

1. Select Appropriate Topics and Venues
When you open your Facebook or Twitter accounts, you will likely find a whole host of political discussions, memes, images and rants all over your feed. Probably the best advice for engagement is to realize that you are not obligated to correct every mistake, teach everyone who seems misguided, or argue with anyone who proposes a debate topic. With this idea in mind, you can freely select the various campaign proposals and positions in any particular venue that you like. You might decide to engage people on your own turf by sharing news stories or asking questions, or you may prefer to argue with others in a group that is not directly connected to your personal account.

Politics is always a hot-button issue, turning even the calmest of conversations into a dumpster fire in record time. Throw anxiety into the mix and you have a volatile combination. But you can participate in election-season discussions without worrying that your anxiety will take control.

Tip #1: Practice in a Safe Setting

Preparing to do the near-impossible (e.g. arguing Trump vs. Hillary without losing your cool) calls for practice. Just as people prepare to give a speech by saying it in front of family members and friends, you can prepare to discuss politics by talking about various political topics in a safe zone. Select people who you know will not start acting like a rabid dog when you disagree with them, so that you can practice without feeling like you’re about to get bit. To start, try a few topics where your opinion is either neutral or at least does not make you want to throat-punch people. That way, you can develop some confidence in your ability to talk through minor disagreements without anticipating angry debate or personal attacks.