Dealing with Political Stress

Most of us can feel the building buzz leading up to November 5th. We feel it in our conversations, in our communities, in our bodies. And for some of us the anxiety feels nearly unbearable.

It’s been a long two months. A long year. A long four years. A long eight years. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like this election is a culmination of almost a decade of dread and trauma and conflict?

The political dynamic being enacted in our country can feel very parental for some of us: we are asking the powerful people in charge to take care of us, to work in our best interests, to make decisions in a way that will protect the integrity of the group. When that power is misused or our vulnerability is exploited you might feel dismissed or isolated. This is the president, this is the parent.

It’s perfectly human to feel activated by political horror show you see unfolding around you. And so how do we hold fear in one hand and hope in the other?

Some things to think about, talk about or write about:

• Get insightful: Up above, when I describe the parental power dynamic, what came up for you? What does it remind you of, and when have you felt this before? Where are you feeling it in your body? Your activation might be an indicator that there is some powerful healing work waiting to begin.
• Get specific: What political issues speak to you most? Immigration? Housing? Climate crisis? Gun control? Reproductive rights? Find reputable organizations that address that issue and donate your time or your money, share their social media posts, volunteer to write letters, or join a local chapter. Getting specific about what matters to you will narrow your focus and give you actionable ideas.
• Get smaller: Focus on your community, your neighborhood, your school district. In other words, focus on the concrete and immediate relationships you have with like-minded folks. The opposite of depression is not happiness, it is connection.
• Get something to look forward to: Plan something rewarding for after the election, so that no matter the outcome you have something right afterward to buoy you up. Whether it’s meeting up with a friend, starting a new creative project, or attending a community based event like a concert or a reading. Having something to look forward to builds resilience and helps us stay “zoomed out”, as opposed to tunnel visioned.

And finally, I leave you with my very professional parting message: this whole thing (gestures wildly) has been unprecedented bat shit, unhinged levels of chaos. Whatever you’re feeling, whether its rage or apathy or anything in between, is ok. And valid. And temporary. That's the thing about suffering, it ends. It has to. And this will too.

You have wisdom within you, and together we can quiet the critics so that you begin to trust yourself again. Contact me at hello@juliatriplett.com for a free consultation.