5 things we can do to manage post election feels
Welcome back to it, friends. There is no better time than now to reintroduce my series called Sunday Spirals and this might be the most spiraly spiral of all Sunday spirals… Seriously, I know I am not the only one going through it right now!
This week, we are going to be diving into the existential dread that we all have been feeling and how we can use this fear and anger to keep going. I am actively struggling with all of these things, but I figured I would compile a list of things that we can be doing to help our community and our mental health!
It has been almost 2 weeks since we have found out the results of the election in the United States and since then, I have not felt like a real person. I have experienced every stage of grief a trillion times. It legit feels like I have aged 10 years. I am having thoughts I've never thought of before and anxieties over every worst case scenario possible.
I know I'm not alone in any of these feelings, and I also recognize I am not going to be the most affected by this presidency. I am worried for everyone though. I truly am, I just wanted what was best for every American, and this outcome does not reflect that at all.
It feels like life just got put in a pressure cooker, where we are being asked to make choices about our short term and long term futures. People are prepping their pantries, renewing their passports, packing up their belongings to leave their red states or even the country. There is a degree of panic, as we await the orange cheeto taking office.
It's okay to feel out of control, it's okay to feel anxious and worried for our futures, but we really can’t give up. We need to stay strong, connect with our communities, continue to educate ourselves, and stay the course. We have a lot of work to do and right now, it does feel bleak and the future is so unknown, but we can’t just go into hiding. We need to stay dedicated to the little joys and other small acts of residence.
I know for myself, I just came out the closet and I am not letting this push me back in there and neither should you! As much as we can, we need to hold onto our identities and continue living with pride.
Now I am a white woman, so take everything I say with that in mind. Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t! We all are going to have different circumstances, but I think these tips can apply to the majority, as they aren’t groundbreaking. We all need reminders sometimes though!
Sit with your emotions
This might be the most challenging one, at least for me. I have found myself wanting to numb myself or distract myself from the anxiety I am feeling.
It is really important that we sit with these emotions and allow them to come up. Feel that anger. Where does it come from? Probably the fact that we just elected a criminal into office! What about the fear? I don’t know, maybe it's the impending doom of facism!
There are very rational and tangible reasons to be feeling these emotions so allow yourself to fully feel them. A good chunk of Americans are feeling the exact way you are feeling too. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you are needing more help. No one should have to be going through these emotions alone. I feel so lucky to have a therapist right now!
Emotions teach us things and they help us move forward with more clarity. If we spend the next 4 years, never confronting these initial feelings, we might feel completely stuck. We don’t want that! We can’t afford to be debilitated with fear, that is exactly what those losers want.
This advice is coming from someone who has taken way too many edibles this past week to try and slow down my brain so I can have one anxiety inducing thought vs 10000. I am working on the emotions piece. It’s hard and it all comes in waves. I feel fine one moment and am completely catastrophizing my life, the next.
If you are feeling all of these big strong emotions, just know you're not alone. Channel that energy into something you are passionate about. Use that anger to take action.
2. Find a hobby!
Maybe you already have some hobbies or maybe you have been doomscrolling way too much (I'm so guilty), but you need to have a hobby that does not involve the screen. Not only are hobbies important in general, but we need to work on our screen time as it will help your mental health.
I have recently started coloring again, which has been amazing. Yes I am on colortok, but no I haven't bought those ohuhu markers or the Coco Wyo coloring books…yet! I am deinfluencing myself to save money, until my other markers die.
Coloring has been a great hobby for me because I don't look at my phone, and I can still watch/listen to a tv show while I am coloring. I struggle with wanting to be on my phone during a tv show, so I love that this uses my hands. This is the same reason I also enjoy knitting.
Hobbies are where we find the joys in life. Hobbies can include creative endeavors, or they can be how you get your exercise, which is great when you can hit 2 birds with one stone!
I’ve never played pickleball but I know that seems to be a popular active hobby right now. Join a rec team or gather some friends together and go throw a frisbee. I am just spit balling here, there’s so many hobby options! Just make sure you have at least one hobby that allows you to disconnect with the world and ground yourself in the present moment.
The little joys in our lives are genuinely a sign of resistance. Don’t let them steal your joy, make time for the things you love to do.
3. Take care of your body
Speaking of exercise, that's what we need to be doing.
I am one of those people who hate getting up to go to the things that make me feel good. I struggle with it, but that’s what is going to keep us mentally and physically healthy.
Releasing those endorphins and getting a good sweat in is something that we can control and it helps us relieve stress.
Sometimes it's those obvious beneficial habits that we skip over in times like this. At least, I know I do!
Let’s get our steps in, feel the sunshine on our skin, and give our bodies the attention they need. Let’s make sure we are fueling ourselves, because we can’t protest on an empty belly!
In the last couple of weeks, I know I have been so stressed that my body is really feeling it. I haven’t been eating the best or exercising, but those seriously do help us in every way.
Like I said, this is an obvious tip but here is your reminder to not let this derail you from the progress you have made in your healthy habits.
4. Continue to educate yourself
As white women, we continue to fail. We need to do better and continue to learn and stay educated. It’s no one's job to educate us, we need to be taking that on ourselves.
I think now is a great time to be reading banned books. They are being banned for a reason and knowledge is power. Reading is cool and is a great hobby! Everything is connected!
I just started reading Fahrenheit 451, we never had to read that in school, so I am intrigued by it. It is on the banned books list, and that is quite ironic from what I do know about the book.
I would highly suggest just skimming through the list of banned books and see what peaks your interest. I have been using my library card on my ipad and I have been able to get free books online. I would love to buy more of the banned list, but that is just not in the budget right now.
Not only should we read banned books, we should be educated on our country’s actual history. A part of the reason why we are in this mess is because of the lack of education in our country. If they are able to achieve what they want and kids are no longer learning American history, we need to be able to fill in the gaps and educate. We cannot let our history be buried.
5. Spend time with people you love and be involved in your community
We can’t skip over the importance of community during a time like this. Whether you are volunteering at your local food shelter, attending game nights with your friends, or marching for a cause, your place in your community is vital during these times.
It does wonders for your mental health to hang around people who love you and those feelings are mutual. As much as I value alone time, I know I tend to spiral more when I am alone. It is best not to isolate ourselves moving forward.
I currently live with my parents, so this is both easy and hard for me… I've been wanting to move out of my childhood home, but now I am questioning if that is really the right move right now. So for now, I am just going to enjoy getting to be around my loved ones longer. Thankfully my parents are not Voldemort supporters, so I am not in a super hostile environment. If that is your scenario, I am sending you so much love. Hang in there.
The day after the election, I spent a couple days with my aunt and it was lovely to be with someone to take my mind off of things. Even when we talked about the results and the future, I felt less doomsday prepper and more grounded because I was with another loved one. At the very least, you have another person to spiral with!
The best thing we can do right now is being in community with one another. I also struggle with this one as I am in my hometown and don't want to be around people I grew up with, but we are hanging in there and making the best of it! I am certainly not one to give advice on making community because my autistic ass does suck at making friends honestly, but still get to know your neighbors! Community doesn't necessarily mean your best friends, it also means knowing the people you see on your daily commute, at the coffee shop, or the car mechanic.
A good way to get involved in your community is to volunteer your time or march for a cause. Keep your eyes out for ways you can still continue to use your voice. I believe that is so important for us to keep the message alive. I attended a women’s march right before the election and it felt really good to be surrounded by people who are fighting for the same cause I am. I wish we were in a time where we didn’t have to protest for human rights, but we are not there yet.
When push comes to shove, it is going to be our community that we can lean on through these tough times.
Well, that is all I have for this week’s Sunday Spiral! I hope you found something beneficial out of this blog post. If anything, I hope this reminded you of things that are in your control. It's easy to spiral, but we can always change that energy and use it to move forward and you never have to spiral alone!! Thank you for being here, I will talk to you next Sunday! Remember to live a life that charges your soul, friends. :)
With love,
Jordan