For many Americans, today is an incredibly stressful day- Election Day. No matter who you are voting for, you are likely feeling a stress unlike any you’ve had before in your lifetime. Yesterday I read stories about people who rushed to the stores to buy up products like toilet paper and canned food, “just in case” of some kind of Armageddon-like scenario following the election results. How we have gotten to this place as a country- incredibly polarized, fear-based, and ready for dramatic change- has been hundreds of years in the making. Hopefully at this point you have done your civic duty and voted, or will do so today at the polls. So assuming you have or will vote, you’ve done what you can right now to swing the tide the way you’d like. However, as the day’s and weeks’ events unfold, you need to consider your mental and emotional health. This article is not to advocate for one candidate or another, but written as a guide to help ALL Americans feel more ease as we transition into this next phase of our country’s history.
Step 1: Breathe
Seriously, breathe. Take deep breaths in your nose for a count of 4, and then out of your mouth for a count of 8. Any time you feel yourself getting worked up, stop and breathe for a few breaths.
Step 2: Realize there will not likely be a clear answer today
As the video Leslie Odom Jr. put out yesterday in a nod to his song in Hamilton, “Wait For It.” We all have to be willing to wait for it, and so there is no gain in getting worked up over any ups and downs posted today. Go back to Step 1 and take deep breaths, and wait until a clear winner is announced.
Step 3: Disconnect from the news and social media
If you find yourself riding the roller coaster of emotions, you need to put yourself first. Stop listening to the news, and disconnect from social media. Spend some time out in nature today- go for a walk, rake some leaves, have virtual tea with a friend…just find something to do to distract yourself from whatever may be going on online. If you really want to check in on what is going on, do so once around 8:30-9 pm maybe, so you’ll have more of a polls-closed kind of report, and then plan in some time to destress after that by doing some meditation and yoga, to prep you for bed. But if I were designing your world, I’d say don’t even bother checking at all today. Check in the morning after you’ve gotten ready for the day, and then plan on setting yourself up with a nice warm blanket and a mug of tea or coffee and those deep breaths mentioned in Step 1. Even if the person you want to win is in the lead, there could be twists and turns ahead, and you need to de-stress along the way.
Step 4: Find healthy ways to express your emotions as they arise
If you’re feeling anger, punch your pillow or scream into it. If you’re feeling sadness or grief, give yourself room to cry. If you’re feeling fear, talk to a friend about your concerns. If you’re feeling joy or elation, allow it to come through. If you’re feeling worry, journal or write it down on a piece of paper and then burn the paper ritualistically, envisioning your worries floating away as the paper burns. These are just some suggestions, but whatever you do, don’t just bury your emotions. By expressing our feelings, we allow them to move *through* the body and not get stuck or manifested as dis-ease.
Step 5: Focus on the present moment
Ultimately, after we have voted and the polls are closed, we have done what we can for this election, and we need to focus on the present moment. Freaking out about the future is not going to serve us right now. Be here, right now, in this moment. I know it’s easier said than done. We all want to think and plan for what the future might hold, and, right now we are here. Focusing on the future and the what-ifs only creates anxiety. So for right now, how can you stay in this moment? Take those deep breaths from Step 1, and do things that allow you to be in the “flow” of life. Spending time with your kids or pets, going on a hike in the woods and playing wildlife bingo, reading a good book, watching a new movie on Netflix, or even volunteering your time at the local food bank or cleaning up the highway are great ways to be in the flow of a moment, but there are so many ways to do it. Listening to great music, dancing, working out, yoga, talking to a friend, making an amazing meal…I could go on and on. Don’t let life pass you by. It is here, in this moment. See what you can do intentionally today and capture more of those “now” moments.
We will get through this. We will continue to learn and grow as a country and as Americans. Each event is a catalyst for our growth and change. I am hopeful for where we are going, and, today I’m in this moment, writing this love note to you, looking out the window on this beautiful crisp fall day, and wishing you peace in your heart, and to keep the light in your eyes. We will be ok, and we will heal.
Sending you much love,
Jen
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