The elction results and aftermath fallout has many thrown into deep stages of grief (Kubler Ross, 1969): denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Cycling through various stages feels often like Dorothy tumbling through a Kansas tornado leaving us bewildered, exhausted, and upset. No doubt.
Before liquidating your assets and escaping to the Dominican Republic, take a breathe and see if you can ground yourself. Or do both at the same time.
Ways to Cope with Post Election Blues:
- Validate what you’re experiencing. What you feel cannot be denied. Feelings originate deep with in the brain in the limbid system. We cannot control the emotion that comes from our limbid system. We feel what we feel. It is only when we experience these emotions that we can then decide what to do with our emotion and how to respond to our emotion. Choose wisely.
- Tune out. Limit your exposure to news, social media sites, etc. If that’s not enough, you could set aside certain times check in with the news. Some people are avoiding social media sites all together.
- Ground yourself. Meditate, pray, practice. Yoga or tai chi. Bloody run. If your’re not afraid of being accosted by anti-Semite, anti-Muslim or anti-anything with love and light, visit a church, temple, mosque. Take a walk in the woods or park. Connect with nature.
- Don’t forget to laugh. Take a break from it all. Do what you enjoy. The world hasn’t ended, or at least not just yet.
“Sometimes you do have to laugh to keep from crying. “ Jacqueline Woodson
- Harness your emotion into action. Volunteer, make sure to vote in future elections, become involved with political offices with whom you support. Find a way to give back and support positive, peaceful action.
danyadarling 