On November 3rd, many Americans made their voices known as they cast their votes at the polling booths, as well as sharing their voice via mail-in ballots. This year broke the record of the most votes in an election thus far, with 101 million early votes cast even before November 3rd, which could be due to the ongoing pandemic. For many, watching the counting process can be stressful, as several battleground states are still counting, as of Friday, November 6th. For me, I tried not to check media outlets at the top of every hour and distracted myself with some popcorn and a movie. I know a lot of people feel anxious in particular to this year’s election, so rather than focus on the election itself, here are a few suggestions to practice self-care during the election process.
1.) Get Distracted with Schoolwork
I know this sounds like the last thing anyone would want to do as a distraction, but for me on Election Night, getting caught up in homework actually kept me from worrying about which states were in the lead, and for a few hours, it felt like it was a typical school night. Even if you don’t have schoolwork to be doing (I wish that was me!), sometimes clearing out things on your agenda can help distract from what’s on top of our minds. Plus, you can also feel good about getting work done, so it can also be productive instead of anxiously watching the screen for hours at a time.
2.) Throw on Your Favorite Movie/Tv Show
This one is definitely the first one that came to mind on Election Night, but during this time, sometimes a good distraction from reality can be immersing yourself in your favorite alternate universe. My go-to feel-good movies are my favorite Studio Ghibli films, as I grew up watching those, but you can watch whatever you feel the most relaxed or interested in. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the results flooding in, I suggest you grab your softest blanket and curl up with the tv remote in hand.
3.) Contact Some Friends and Family for Support
I cannot stress this one enough; having a close group of people you trust and can lean on while processing the election results is vital to our mental health. My friends and I on Election Night actually gathered on a Discord call and chatted about the results coming in, and it helped me feel a bit saner about watching the results. So, if you’re feeling especially stressed, call up a friend or relative and if you feel comfortable doing so, share with them how you’re feeling, and check in on your friends as well; you never know, someone could be feeling the same way you do.
4.) Practice Meditation or Take Some Deep Breaths
I know meditation is not everyone’s cup of tea, but taking just a few minutes to recenter your thoughts can help ease some anxiety and uncertainty about the world in general. One technique you can try is often known as the “4-7-8 Technique”, where you inhale for 4 seconds and hold it for 7 seconds, and let out for eight full seconds. This breathing technique can also help calm someone down from having a panic attack, so this can recenter your breathing and help relieve some mental stress that could be a result of this election year.
5.) Spend Some Time with Pets
As we all know, pets can be therapeutic when times get stressful, and who can resist their adorable faces? Petting dogs or other animals is also a known fact to help alleviate stress, so next time you see your dog, be sure to smother them in scratches and cuddles. If you don’t have a pet at home, even watching animal videos on the Internet can be a fun alternative to staring at the news.
