Today we officially begin what I have come to think of as ‘Election Week’. As if to match our ever-lengthening campaign seasons, ‘election day’ appears to have flown out the window. We can unfortunately anticipate that we will not know the outcomes of many races tonight or even tomorrow. Here are some of the ways I cope with it that you can implement, too.
Acknowledge it – Say it with me, “this sucks!”. Often as adults with many demands placed on our time and attention, we bottle up or push away feelings that don’t feel helpful. However, when those feelings have been building up over months and what once was a pretty quick release valve is now more of a slow ooze, that’s not going to work. Giving myself time to acknowledge, complain, whine, and vent is cathartic. It makes a little more space in my bottle so that I can get things done without carrying around such a heavy weight.
Set expectations – Many adults are used to fast elections with relatively minimal fuss. Unfortunately, the 2020 election showed us that fuss is probably in the cards. Ergo expectation setting. Instead of expecting results on Wednesday, I’m calling Saturday ‘Results Day’. We can also probably expect some folks to get huffy in the streets, but we can prepare ourselves for the discomfort this may bring and discuss with our loved ones how to handle discontent or excitement. If you are planning to join a demonstration, do your research. There are many resources for how to participate legally and safely. Universities and public institutions are great options for tips and guidance. ***
Be together – Spending time with people who bring me comfort is an important way of coping with stress. We’ve all heard the term ‘misery loves company’ and in this instance it’s true. Knowing that I’m not alone in the way I am feeling and in my beliefs is soothing. And if your beliefs don’t align with those around you, you can still share in the stress and/or find groups in your community or online who do share those values. Asking your family and friends to leave politics out of the conversation is a totally reasonable ask.
Shut it off – During periods of stress when information is flying at us all the time, it’s easy to feel like I need to know everything. But my ballot is in. There is nothing I can do today, tomorrow, or the day after to change the results. So, I am turning off my notifications. Seeing 12 notifications come in, sometimes about the same state, is just going to ramp up the stress. Instead setting certain times of day to check but not right before bed allows me to stay in the know without disrupting my flow.
Watch the helpful thing – Modern news, especially television, relies on readership or viewership just like your favorite reality TV, medical drama, or sports blog. While watching someone get excited or upset about the things we find exciting or upsetting can feel cathartic, these stations can also up the stress level. Instead of your usual pundit, go for the bland sources. The Associated Press (AP) is what many organizations use to call elections anyways.
Distractions are also great. Find the things that give you a sense of calm or resolution. My personal suggestions would be Psych (Amazon Prime or NBC Peacock) and Jury Duty (Freevee via Amazon). If you’re more into SciFi the earlier Star Trek series are a great option. Next Generation is available on Freevee. If you like your SciFI and your shows extra goofy, Eureka is a great choice available on Amazon. The shows are light hearted and over. They’re resolved and during Election Week resolution is definitely a good thing.
Stress is not 100% bad – Most of us have experienced a level of election stress at some point this year. And that is okay. Stress is not always a bad thing. In a lot of ways stress reflects the importance we place in something. Reminding myself that I feel stress because I care, helps me reframe my feelings in a more positive light.
And remember, Colorado Educator Support is here for you.
***Some organizations will provide a list of suggestions based on a very broad spectrum of demonstration experience. Choosing the right type of demonstration is just as important as how you prepare. If you think seeing guidelines for demonstrations that may involve violence or the potential for violence will be too anxiety provoking for you, please consider whether attending a demonstration at that moment would be the right step for you. There are many ways to get involved and support the causes important to you.
