During this week of the Presidential election, it’s normal to be especially stressed-out. This year, more than any other year, seems more stressful than ever. People on both sides of the political divide are feeling tense, anxious and overwhelmed.
In addition to a very divided and contentious nation, the results will take a while to come in. All this is happening during a pandemic. It’s natural to feel stressed. So, give yourself a break.
I know the temptation to spend the next 48 hours refreshing Twitter or other social media is strong. But if you want to retain some semblance of sanity, RESIST!
Because whatever happens with the election, you will hear about it. You’ve cast your ballot and encouraged family and friends to vote, so there’s not much more you can do right now.
It’s so important to get off of the stress treadmill and take a break from this negative mental exercise. I want to give you some tips to help alleviate your election stress. You can administer your own self-care during this very worrisome time.
First, here are the obvious things:
Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise and get enough sleep. If you’re starting to feel stressed, go for a run, go to bed early, or both.
Here are some things you can do, which will help you on a moment-to-moment basis.
Saying “just meditate” can actually up the stress level for some people, because we might worry if we’re doing it right.
This is the opposite of what we want right now. Instead, try some relaxing visualizations.
Visualize putting yourself in a loving, protected bubble. Ask your Guides and Angels to protect you. This energetic boundary will help you be calmer when you open an email or turn on the TV, so it doesn’t feel like you’re being knocked over by the news.
Another thing you can do is Ground. Imagining yourself sitting on the ground or in a tree, growing roots and connecting to the very core of the Earth. Bring Mother Earth energy up and into your body. Breath in her loving and healing energy deeply and allow it to fill you and nourish you.
In those non-newsy moments, do things that help to relax you. Mental stress causes physical stress, and loosening up your body can help relax your brain. Do some type of movement so your body can feel lighter, whether you exercise, dance, jump or go for a walk.
As you scroll through Twitter or Facebook, pay attention to what your body is doing. Is your breath getting shallow? Are your shoulders hunched up around your ears? You won’t miss anything if you take a minute to do a few shoulder rolls and deep breaths. Breathing is key in letting go of stress.
You can also try 4-count breathing: Inhale for four seconds. Hold it for four seconds. Exhale for four seconds. Hold for four seconds before starting the inhalation again. You know I believe breathing is important for clearing anything that’s not in alignment with your body. Simple: breath out negative, breathe in positive.
Remember, an attitude of gratitude always invites you to get outside of your own problems and look at the bigger picture. This lifts you to a place of abundance, instead of a place of scarcity and fear. So, start getting thankful!
Just practice these tips every time you go down the rabbit hole. Remember, this is now out of your control. The election is over so focus on what you can control.
