When I surveyed my Instagram community, 95% said they felt election anxiety. As the election results trickle in and most are projecting an election purgatory long after election night, here’s a guide to how I’m managing my election anxiety.
To feel pragmatically inspired and understand more about the post-traumatic growth potential from this election season – especially without spiritual bypassing – check out this special Managing Election Anxiety post.
The Truce with Food Guide to Surviving Election Anxiety
- Feel and understand your BIG Feelings. I’ll be crying either way as the results come in – either out of more sadness, fear and disappointment or relief. And it helps me to remember, Trump and this GOP are the resistance to the values of the majority. Otherwise I feel very alone in the country that is my home.
- Identify and focus on what you care about. Know you can keep those values alive regardless of who wins this election.
- The core of the change we need comes from the ground up when we join together. I highly recommend following the women of color who are leading with the issues you care about so we get to a better world, faster. As I learned from my Affordable Care advocacy work, when white people get on board, change quickens.
- Don’t catastrophize or idealize. Either way, there is massive, long-term change that needs to happen. This is a data point, not an end point to realizing the vision of America.
- Be discerning and adjust based on the outcome. A Trump win will make us less safe on all angles. We may have to strike if he doesn’t concede. It’s wise to know our choices.
- Repeat.
And remember, resilience also requires recharging and I do hope we will have at least four years of not worrying about how cruel our President and his accomplices can be. And if not, I also know we still have choices. And choice is power.
To understand more about how to turn this election anxiety into post-traumatic growth (and how others already are), check out this special Managing Election Anxiety post.
I’ll also be doing an “Ask Me Anything” Instagram Live at 3 pm EST this week and I can certainly answer your questions related to election anxiety.
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