Post-election stress and anxiety are real. According to an article in Psychology Today, "While most US presidential elections are anxiety-provoking, this one has been uniquely stressful due to Pacific Ocean-size divisions in perspective and the ensuing extreme political partisanship. It can be deeply disequilibrating to feel as though half of the country experiences reality in a way that’s so dramatically different from you."
If you're experiencing significant stress and anxiety over the last few months like me, you're not alone.
It's been really difficult to stay consistent with my usual healthy coping mechanisms. Journaling, repeating meditative mantras, eating healthy, and avoiding alcohol are things that have always helped me in the past, but lately it's been hard to do any of these things. I've fallen back into having a few drinks on the weekend. I'm not as consistent with tracking my food and have been eating more comfort junk food. The mantras that would help me work through my emotions in the past, like "What do you have control over right now?" or "Let them" or "Will this matter weeks, months, or years from now?" aren't currently working, if I even remember to use them.
There's a reason for this. According to the article, "In the face of uncertainty, our nervous systems are on high alert, braced to react through fight, flight, or freeze. In this survival mode, some higher-level brain functions actually go offline, and we make choices and take actions we likely wouldn't in other circumstances."
So what are we to do? For me, the biggest struggle has been trying to figure out what I can do. Do I participate in protests? Do I call my state representatives? And if I do these things, will they actually make a difference? Living in a red state? Probably not.
But I can follow the action steps mentioned in the Psychology Today article. I can avoid things that exacerbate my anxiety, like doomscrolling on social media and drinking alcohol. When I'm feeling anxious, instead of avoiding my emotions, I need to journal, blog, or reach out to someone and talk about my feelings. Most of all, I can continue to live by my morals and values - those things haven't been taken away from me. I don't have to change just because the world around me is chaotic and eruptive. Like a leader at the University I work at reminded us, "Don't take the bait."
Taking care of my physical and mental health is the top priority. I need to remember that I can't stand up for what I believe in, I can't help others, I can't fight for what's right if I'm not strong and healthy. I just need to keep reminding myself of that.
If, like me, you're looking for ways you can make a difference, I found this article to be helpful. Through small actions, we can make significant changes.
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