{"id":105931,"date":"2024-11-08T14:13:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T14:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stress.org\/?post_type=news&p=105931"},"modified":"2024-11-08T14:13:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T14:13:50","slug":"8-tips-to-fight-postelection-stress-from-mindfulness-to-medical-advice","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.stress.org\/news\/8-tips-to-fight-postelection-stress-from-mindfulness-to-medical-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"8 tips to fight postelection stress, from mindfulness to medical advice"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the day after\u00a0Election Day<\/a>, and people across the board are dealing with the results. Staying centered is both an imperative and a tall order, but experts are here to help, with some pro tips.<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether one is celebrating or mourning in the wake of Tuesday\u2019s election results, the biological effect on the body is the same, said Dr<\/strong>. Daniel Kirsch<\/strong>, president of The American Institute of Stress<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cStress is our reaction to change,\u201d he told the Daily News by phone. \u201cWe qualify this event as a stressful event. For everyone. Everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both types of stress, good or bad, \u201ccan cause a heart attack,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you can do to take care of your stress levels:<\/p>\n

Breathe<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mindfulness teachers and medical experts concur that simply stopping to catch one\u2019s breath is a key starting point.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeep breathing is one of the best tools to fight stress. It\u2019s free, and it\u2019s always available,\u201d Kirsch said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Centering oneself around the breath<\/a>\u00a0is a way to combat the tendency to catastrophize, meditation teacher and author\u00a0Sharon Salzberg<\/a>\u00a0told the Daily News.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor people who are really, especially sharply distressed, we\u2019re in fight or flight, we\u2019re not breathing,\u201d which makes it crucial to \u201cjust to be able to center for a moment,\u201d she said. \u201cOur thoughts cascade \u2014 this is going to happen, that is going to happen \u2014 and if we take a few breaths, we actually center again in this moment, we ground, and then we can deal with what is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get physical<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Physical activity is also very grounding, helping to use up the energy generated by stress, Kirsch noted. It sends your body the message that you\u2019re not under physical threat. Exercising, dancing, singing, whatever it takes.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo something physical. Immediately,\u201d he said. \u201cThis helps signal to your body that you are utilizing what it\u2019s giving you. It\u2019s giving you energy to move, it\u2019s giving you clarity of thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stay with difficult emotions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cThere are very powerful emotions arising for many people \u2014 sadness, fear, grieving, helplessness \u2014 and instead of reflexively pushing the feelings away or getting swamped by them, we try to recognize them,\u201d Salzberg said. \u201cThen instead of being carried away, we\u2019re watching it with interest, and that brings insight or understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t catastrophize<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cThe key part of mindfulness is noticing the difference between what\u2019s happening and what we\u2019re adding to what\u2019s happening,\u201d Salzberg said. \u201cWe\u2019re having these really painful feelings and we need to deal with them, but we don\u2019t need to make them worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take a break and stop doom-scrolling<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many have been obsessively following media in the months, weeks and days leading up to the election. Now is a good time to step back, the experts said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo charge your phone you have to plug it in,\u201d Kirsch said. \u201cTo charge your brain you have to unplug.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do something you enjoy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Listen to music, appreciate some art, read a book, spend time outdoors \u2014 and don\u2019t feel guilty doing something enjoyable, Salzberg said. \u201cIt\u2019s not wrong, it\u2019s not selfish, it\u2019s a survival guide, really,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Connect with others<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Likewise, connecting with others is helpful, \u201cnot to catastrophize together, but to have some way of not feeling so isolated,\u201d Salzberg said.<\/p>\n

That can include\u00a0touching base with people you disagree with<\/a>, psychologist Tania Israel told CNN.<\/p>\n

Seek perspective<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Essayist\u00a0Rebecca Solnit<\/a>\u00a0had this advice for the day-to-day:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can be heartbroken or furious or both at once; you can scream in your car or on a cliff; you can also\u00a0get up tomorrow and water the flowerpots<\/a>\u00a0and call someone who\u2019s upset and check your equipment for going onward,\u201d she wrote. \u201cTake care of yourself and remember that taking care of something else is an important part of taking care of yourself, because you are interwoven with the 10 trillion things in this single garment of destiny that has been stained and torn, but is still being woven and mended and washed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Originally Published:\u00a0
Photo by Vincent M.A. Janssen<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the day after\u00a0Election Day, and people across the board are dealing with the results. 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