University of California, San Francisco(UCSF) and Duke University conducted a study and analysed over 500,000 adults in the 2016 election. The study suggested that people who lived in the places with Hilary Clinton majority experienced on average an additional half-day of poor mental health in the month following the election that the previous month. This study is a clear indication that elections can cause an impact on the mental health of the public.
If you have been waiting for your favorite candidate to win and it did not happen, it may cause stress and post-election anxiety. In this article, we will discuss different ways to overcome post-election anxiety.
1) Write down Your Thoughts
One of the easiest and best ways to overcome post-election anxiety is writing down your thoughts. Take out your journal and express all your feelings. Rather than talking about it to somebody, you can just write it down. I bet you will feel relieved once you get everything out of your head. You do not have to be a writer for this, just knowing to write down your thoughts will make a huge difference. Even if you are discussing it to someone else, you might not tell everything you have in your mind. But journaling your thoughts will help you get rid of the negative thoughts.
2) Do Not Talk about It
The election results have been declared, it might be hard not to talk about it. If the candidate you support did not win, you might get anxious and want to talk about it to someone. It is okay to talk about it and let your thoughts out. But if you keep on talking about it to each and every person you meet, it might aggravate your post-election anxiety. Once you have discussed it with someone, try not to talk about it over and over again.
3) Accept the Truth
You must be concerned only about the things you can control. This is something you do not have control over as the election is already over. You must accept the fact that your favorite candidate did not win the election. It is something you can change for the next few years. You must tell yourself to accept the truth. You are the only person who knows about yourself well. Talk to yourself and tell in a way that your mind accepts it.
4) Stay Away from Social Media
There are several ways your mental health can be linked with social media . You are very much aware about who won the election. You need not keep checking the social media. You are constantly reminding yourself that something you did not like happened and so you need to be sad or anxious about it. Social media cannot be good for everyone at all times. This news might make someone feel good but if it makes you feel bad, it is your responsibility to stay away from it. The news about the presidential election might revolve around the internet for a week, it's better to take a break to realize the truth.
5) Distract Yourself
One thing you can do is to distract yourself. Sometimes, you might not get what you want and your mind might not take it lightly. Therefore, you can do something else to make yourself happy. Involve in some other activities you love doing. It might be painting, cooking, or writing. No matter what your favorite hobbies are, you can do it in order to relax yourself.
6) Hope for the Best
The results of the election have been announced. You now know that your favorite candidate did not win the election. You might have thought that he/she would have made our society better. But let's hope for the best and give a chance to the newly elected. He might fulfill your needs too. Get out of your comfort zone and have a positive mindset over the election results.
These are the top 6 ways to manage post-election anxiety . During this pandemic period The only thing that can be changed is your mindset. You might not have control over the things that are happening around you. But you can have control of your mind. One thing you can do for your good is to just MOVE ON!
Ashley completed her degree with nutrition as her major. She loves sharing her knowledge with others and playing with words. After struggling for almost a year to find a job that could make her feel lively, she ended up as a freelance writer. Ashley writes health-related blogs and articles. She makes sure that her works always stand unique and are useful for everyone. Ashley is also a YouTuber who shares health-related videos. She knows the value of the right information and how it can be beneficial to others. Therefore, her only motto is to provide accurate information. If Ashley sounds like that neighbor who you can ask for health tips, take a look at her works.
