Well, Election Day has come and gone and we still aren’t sure who will be in office the next four years. To say 2020 has been a stressful year for most of us would be an understatement, and these days between casting our votes and finding out the results may be the most stressful of them all.
It’s so important to take care of yourselves right now, friends, and to know you’re not alone — in fact, this election has been cited as a significant stressor among 56% of a surveyed group. We’ve already talked about why and how you need to look after your mental health this election season, but what about coping with the emotions of post-election results, especially the grief you may experience if your favored candidate loses?
Your body, mind, and soul all very much linked, and you’ll probably notice post-election grief affecting your well-being in all three of these areas. Here are some of the best ways to cope with your emotions this election season and take care of yourself — body, mind, and soul.
Body
I don’t know about you, but as I’ve become more aware of my physical health, I’ve noticed how seriously negative emotions affect my body. When I’m stressed, grieving, or experiencing any negative emotion, I tend to tense up, get headaches, and become way more tired. The good thing about this physical-emotional relationship is that it goes the other way, too — by taking care of my body, I can take some of the stress off of my emotional self. Here are some of my favorite physical stress-busters that seriously help my emotional health:
Baths: I love a good bath, and I like to make it as luxurious as possible! I’ll light a few candles, pour in some epsom salts (or use a bath bomb), grab a glass of wine and my laptop, and set up in the bath with some Netflix. The hot water, epsom salts, and fragrances seriously calm my body, and Dr. Teal’s lavender epsom salts relax me so much that I’m ready for bed after!
Yoga: Yoga has honestly been my saving grace recently, especially the more passive yin flows that do some deeper loosening/tension relieving in my muscles. Sometimes I’m honestly shocked at how tight my body feels when I start stretching it, and sometimes even a yin practice feels like it’s been a workout once I’m done! Here is my absolute favorite 60 minutes Yin + Meditation guided flow, led by Helen from Floating Yoga School (she also has an amazing flow to deal with grief):
Food: Did you know that the foods you eat can seriously impact your mental and emotional health? Now is not the time to indulge in lots of junk food and takeout, people — and believe me, I know how hard it is to feed yourself well when you’re feeling down in the dumps. But even just some roasted veggies, rice, and chicken can go a long way. If I need a quick, healthy meal, I’ll throw whatever veggies I have on a sheet pan and roast them, cook up some rice, and cube + sauté some chicken if I have it. Anything easy, yummy, and nutritious will do!
Mind
We did a great post on taking care of your mental health during election season, and I really recommend you check it out! Here are a couple additional mental health tips:
Therapy: IMO, everyone should see a therapist at some point in their lives — why not start now? Therapy is amazing, people, and it isn’t just reserved for people who have experienced major traumas. If nothing else, therapy provides an hour or two of time a week that is all about you. You’ll be able to reflect and talk through whatever you’ve been thinking about or experiencing with someone who is well-equipped to help you out. If you don’t have insurance or are worried about cost, there are several affordable options out there you can look into.
**If you’re experiencing severely negative emotions and/or thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Talk with friends: When we’re experiencing tough emotions, it’s really easy to shut ourselves off from friends and family. The truth is, we need our loved ones now more than ever. I know gathering is still hard due to COVID, but make sure you’re still getting some quality time in with loved ones, whether it’s through a phone call, Zoom chat, or a safe gathering that follows CDC guidelines.
Soul/Emotions
You’re likely going to experience a slew of emotions in the coming days/weeks, such as grief, despair, sadness, anger, and others. I want to emphasize that this is normal and to be expected. Knowing what’s coming will make it easier to stay afloat when the tidal wave hits.
Awareness: This may be the most important tip of this entire post. First and foremost, to be able to deal with your emotions, you have to allow yourself to be aware of them. I know I’ve been super guilty of masking and becoming numb to my emotions in the past — sometimes they’re too painful to deal with, so I try to bury them deep inside me. But all that burying only causes them to fester, and when they do come out, I always wish I had just let myself feel my feelings in the moment. Practice becoming aware of what you’re feeling as the first step toward dealing with your emotions.
Journaling: If you’ve never journaled, now is the time to start. Sometimes my brain feels so busy and my emotions are so all over the place that the only way I can sort through all the noise is to sit and write it. And I’m talking hand-writing, people, not typing! The act of handwriting helps slow down my thought process, so that what I put on the paper is a nice thought-stream instead of a messy jumble. When I’m done, I can read what I’ve just wrote and recognize what emotions I may have been burying; this gives me a clearer path forward in the healing process.
How are you doing in the aftermath of this election? Do you have any self-care tips we didn’t mention? Share with us in the comments!
If You Liked This Self-Care Post, You Might Also Enjoy:
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