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The last couple of weeks have been hard. I know that they have been because I have been fielding some of your phone calls. Tuesday, November 5, 2024, has come and gone. Many are still in disbelief. No, this article is not turning political, don't worry. I am just here to acknowledge the collective sigh many woke up with following this nail-biting election season. Many woke up to a sigh of relief. Whereas other, their worst fears have only begun. I know because I have fielded the calls. The question, where do we go from here? Whether your team one or your team lost, we have to decide where we go from here. The uncertainty of the election has not ended just because a candidate has been selected. For many the new anxieties have only just begun.
Division, The Death Knoll
To understand, we need to take a brief stroll through elections past. Do you remember 2020? Nike released a star-studded get-out-the-vote campaign called “You Can’t Stop Our Voice.” It featured some prominent stars including LeBron James and Naomi Osaka, and ends with them wearing shirts emblazoned with “VOTE.” Nike was not the only company that had something to say in the way of encouraging us to participate in our civic duty as citizens. Compare that to 2024. Overall, companies have been a little more reserved in their remarks about this year's election cycle. Why so? Money. According to the NBC New article The Fight Over Corporate Politics is Just Beginning, "Nearly half of Americans say they have boycotted brands because they disagreed with political or social stands the brands took." Brands understand they cannot afford to have half of their American consumers boycott their brand based on that brand's perceived political leaning. Division is not just the death knoll to a brand or company's bottom line. A quick scroll through various social media platforms features muting, unfollowing, even unfriending longtime friends and supporters due to their political leaning. Complete with digs and insults to boot. It is so bad in some instances, even family are side-eyeing and canceling other family members. Anger, fear and distrust abound. Two days ago, the Chancellor of my alma mater had this message for students:
We cannot function as families in this way. We cannot function as communities in this way.
We cannot function as a nation in this way. Can we as a nation pick up the pieces? I recall a friend of mine lamenting that they would just be glad when the election is over. Maybe then things can get back to some sort of normal. We literally could not turn anywhere without politics. You could view the signs plastered throughout any residential neighborhood. The ads. Oh my goodness the ads. On the radio. On streaming platforms. On social media. Heck even text messages to our cell phones. Listening to the morning, evening, and nightly news. There were think tanks and pundits from every corner vying for our attention to sway our vote. So, I definitely get the sentiment. And before I knew it, the recognition hit, that it still would not be over. For weeks even months on end we would then be subjected to the commentary of why the election went in either direction and all the successes and missteps of each of the candidates. We will be inundated. And I am here to tell you, this will not be good for your mental well-being. Your nervous system will continue to be overloaded which will do nothing in the way of you exercising kindness or healing to others or yourself. And the message Troy University's Chancellor was forced to send to his students, and probably many other Chancellors around my state, answers a resounding no to my question, "Can we as a nation pick up the pieces?" The answer is no. We as a nation cannot pick up the pieces until some healing work occurs, individually. And unfortunately, we cannot control anyone else's healing. We cannot control anyone else's humanity. This sobering fact is another reason why you need a break. Give yourself permission to take one. Here are a few recommendations to help you cope with the election anxiety in the days, weeks, months, maybe even years to come.
Approaching Election Anxiety with Mindfulness
We have defined mindfulness many times here at EnvisionCo Blog. This article will mark the first time we will define it under the context of the election anxiety many are feeling right now. In a nutshell, mindfulness refers to the quality of awareness we bring to our experiences—specifically, nonjudgmental, present-focused attention. For the purposes of today's article, I am only asking that you apply this principle to yourself and your own inner landscape, not to anyone else. Just you.
Be Present: | So many out there are experiencing a spiral of "what ifs." If you are from a marginalized group, or love and care about someone from a marginalized group, this spiral is natural and to be expected. Don't allow anyone to tell you otherwise. There are concerns about where things will go from here. Yet none of the worst case scenarios have actually happened. Do not let the fears of what could happen take over. This is what it means to be mindfully present. Acknowledge those very real feelings and fears exist AND do not allow yourself to get stuck there in "what if land." If you notice yourself getting carried away by thoughts of the future, you can pull yourself back to the present by bringing awareness to simple sensations—the feel of your feet on the floor, the rhythm of your breath, or the sounds around you—and remind yourself that you are safe in the current moment. |
No Judgment: | We have a nasty habit as humans of being hard on ourselves. Whether through nature or through our nurture. Judging your emotions is only going to make you feel worse. The more you try to push those emotions away without acknowledging them, the more your anxiety is going to amp up. We're designed that way. Sorry. Instead, if you find your anxiety is amping up around the election and the results, tell yourself that given your situation it makes sense that you feel that way. Then give yourself a break. Allow yourself 1-2 hours away from social media or news. Walk. Get some sunshine. Stretch. But give yourself permission to take a much needed break. If those future focused "what ifs" start to plague you, use the grounding exercise from above of noticing (feet on floor, rhythm of your breathing, sounds around you). |
Stretch Your Thinking
When we are anxious, it is next to impossible to turn off all the worst-case scenarios that we can conjure up. That in and of itself can be a full-time job with overtime! This is why I encouraged starting with being present and no judgment. This will aid us in dialing down the anxiety channel. Once we have accomplished this, then and only then can we get serious about coping so that we can feel a little less out of control in a world we have very little control of. However, the one thing we do have control over is how we cope. This is within our window of control. Did your preferred candidate win in 2012? In 2016? How about in 2020? You see, most of us have experience with our non-preferred candidate winning at some point in our voting history. We have evidence that we can cope, and we know how we did it. Tell me in the comments. How did you cope before? What clues does this lend to you about how you may cope now?
Be Intentional, Compassion Starts at Home
Is there anything that you are doing, that is not helpful to your anxious feelings? This is a difficult question to consider. Though we have established that depending on your station in life, feeling a measure of unease may very well be warranted. What I am asking you to consider is if there are any behaviors or actions you are taking that is further fueling those anxious worries? How glued are you to the TV or other social media outlets? Are you gravitating to more news related shows or groups on social media that are more politics focused? What can you do to change the channel physically and mentally? Can you cook? Play a game? Go to the gym? Engage in a few deep breathing exercises? Spend time watering and talking with your plants? Practice self-compassion? Be intentional about identifying the people, places, and things that help you recharge and refocus. And lastly but definitely not least, recognizing that you may need additional support from a professional and that is 100% okay.
Be The Change, Not the Fear
No nation, groups, or people that had to fight for any measure of freedoms or rights stood idly by waiting for the lightbulb moment from their respective governments or oppressors. Now is your time. Some of you out there are more reserved in your advocacy whereas others are bolder in the mission. Find your lane and commit to it. My lane is helping people find their mental wellbeing (whether it be spiritual, physical, environmental, social, emotional, intellectual, or financial). This is my lane. I love it here. I get that "runner's high" living in this lane. If I focus on the fears of my heart and mind, I cannot get to the mental wellness advocacy work that I love. There are some bad actors out here who will plant into your consciousness the seeds of doubt and fear. Some do it intentionally, and others unintentionally. If I get weighed down by the fears of my heart and mind, I cannot continue my mission of teaching others to be kind to themselves mentally and emotionally. I have to be the change I seek, not the fear I want to avoid. What about you? Tell me in the comments below. What is your mission? If you are in the medical field in any capacity, is it raising awareness and increasing education on disease and how to make lifestyle changes that create healthier lives? If you are in the financial sector in any capacity, is it raising awareness and increasing education on investing, savings, and debt management? If you are in the legal world, are you helping advocate for those in a court system who maybe do not have the funds to advocate for themselves? If you are in arena of social justice, is it continuing your education, mentorship, and advocacy for the disenfranchised? What is your passion? What is your mission? Now stay mindful enough to get out there and fulfill it!
I am not naive enough to believe that the road ahead post-election is going to be easy. I like history and therefore I recognize that there is absolutely nothing new under the sun. So, if the past lends any insight to possible future directions, a hard battle may have to be waged in this nation for the hearts and souls of its citizens. Even with this in mind, I remain optimistic. Not that sickening kind unrealistic hope, because I get this principle, "All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt," (Ecclesiastes 8:9, NKJV). I get there are clouds ahead and the road maybe rough, choppy, and long with many dark places. Yet time and again, somehow when people put their fears aside and work together, beautiful things have also been accomplished. I ask of you in the minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months to come, start with healing your own inner system. Start with taking care of you. Please remember though, wherever you are on this wellness journey, do not worry about getting it perfect; just get it going. Until next time. Happy reading!
Get your mind right. Get your money right too.
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Differences will always exist, but division doesn't always have to result. ~Beth Moore
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