What to do with big feelings about the upcoming election

In the state of Maryland early voting has begun and people are heading to the polls to cast their votes.  Every time there is a significant election, especially a presidential one, it can bring up a lot of anxiety about the state of our country and even our world.  This anxiety is often just an added layer to the day-to-day things we are already managing and experiencing.  My experience has shown that most people are struggling with a sense of helplessness during this time.  There feels like there is so much out of our control when it comes to elections.  Yes, we can vote but that often feels like a small impact when the stakes can be so high.  Some helpful tips to try and lean into are:

-        Take breaks from media.  Do your research and stay informed but reading the same news from multiple media sources is just reinforcing the anxiety.  Also, be aware of what you are looking at, make sure it is reputable news sources and not just TikTok videos making predictions.

-        Take care of yourself.  Get outside, take a walk, exercise, bake, read, or whatever helps you feel more regulated.  This is a time to lean into self-care and self-compassion.

-        Connect with others.  We always feel less alone and less lost and uncertain when we are touching base with others. It often normalizes our feelings which can lead to a decrease of anxiety.  Talking with others gives us a chance to share our thoughts, feelings, and worries.

-        Get involved in your community.  The best way to decrease anxiety is to do something.  Find an issue you feel passionate about and research it.  Find ways big or small to get involved and support this issue.  Doing something on any level gives us a sense of power.  Yes, the actions of one individual can make a difference and often we are not even aware of how significant that difference can be to someone else.

Give yourself permission to recognize this can be stressful and difficult time.  There are moments in life that just feel hard and we are all doing the best we can.  For the next few weeks, let that be enough.