Hello all, we have reached the point after the election where we can breathe, so let us take a moment before getting into today’s topic to do so.
Now, with the election being a reliever for most but not all of us, looking inward during this time could be beneficial for our country’s future. The past few years have given life to a plethora of emotions that could have been quite hard to experience or even understand. Therefore, I think it is crucial to take the time we have now in the moment not to just check-in with one another but most importantly ourselves. Below are some common emotions you or someone you know may be experiencing right now:
Relieved – if your chosen candidate was elected then congratulations and celebrate the upcoming change you voted for
Exhausted or Overwhelmed – like I said, the past four years have clearly sparked an overwhelming number of emotions. Leaving some feeling completely stressed and pressured.
Worried about Safety – the hate speech used since President Barack’s last term have understandably brought a significant amount of worry to some especially with all the political uncertainty
Angry – perhaps your/their ideal candidate wasn’t chosen, maybe the anger isn’t even directed to this particular election but something politically broader. Whichever the case, it’s understandable to be angry.
Sit with those feelings and work through them; it is important not to inhibit yourself from expressing yourself, these are stressful times and not feeling them won't help getting over them in the end.
It’s imperative that each of these feelings be understood even if not personally felt. Going into the new presidential term, the promotion of governmental agreement and understanding could be the main objective.
Sympathy - feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
Empathy - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
I give these textbook examples of the two most important words of our social climate to remind us that everyone isn't satisfied. Sympathize with those who still feel angry and hurt by the current state of affairs and feel nothing has changed. Empathize with them as well because you may know from recent years that even you could be in their shoes.
Not that you asked it, but in my opinion, Biden’s new election can be used as a bridging era for us all. Since its inception, the “united” portion of our homeland’s name has scarcely been represented. So, redefining just what that means to us could be the most thrilling adventure we’ve yet to see. A new year is coming and with it a new slate for us to actually be the change bringing us in spite of its certain obstacles.
So lastly here are some tips that will hopefully help you navigate yourself through post election America.
Tips/Practices for getting through 2020 Post-Election
Process the new election decision healthily – meditation, yoga, therapy both professional and unprofessional, journaling,
Mold yourself back into your usual day-to-day – get back into regular contact w/ loved ones; if you don’t need the reassurance maybe they do, get back into old hobbies or even pick-up new ones (the point is to help you have a less anxiously stressful point of view on life as time goes by)
Avoid confrontational social & news media if need be; limit election aftermath exposure. This is the new main platform generations have for the news, especially Twitter becoming an underrated news outlet of its own.
By Jakim L.