We're all familiar with PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, which occurs after a traumatic event and disrupts our lives. Similarly, PESD is post-election stress disorder, which follows a presidential election and can also disrupt our lives, especially this year. Yes, it’s a thing.
Perhaps we should start preparing for PESD, as there's roughly a 50/50 chance we'll experience it on November 6, 2024. No matter where we stand politically, our worlds will be shaken if we're invested in the election's outcome. This may seem inconsequential for those who aren't engaged or don't care, but indifference is its own issue.
How will we cope if we find ourselves on the 'losing' side of the election? This year will be different - it won't just be about dealing with the disappointment of our preferred policies not being implemented.
We will have some difficult choices to make, and those choices will reveal our character, maturity, morality, and spirituality. If that sounds a little heavy, let’s take a look at some of those choices:
Amplify hatred, anger, revenge, and retribution, increasing the total of the world’s misery.
Move out of the country. Some people will choose that option. Most can’t afford it.
Take up arms. God forbid this should happen, but given recent events, we know this may very well be a choice for too many people.
Play the victim role and feel sorry for yourself, or play the villain role and gloat.
Break off relationships with friends who voted for the other side.
Display your anger in every conversation, hurling insults at those who didn’t vote your way.
Those are all emotionally driven responses and might very well be the first response for many of us. We live in a culture unmoored from principle and values volume over veracity. Our politics is infantile and evokes infantile responses.
These might be normal human responses to an event as disruptive and intrusive as the upcoming election. But we are human and can monitor and regulate our emotions. Here are some more positive choices that might contribute to our happiness and well-being:
Set Boundaries – Conversations around the election can cause stress, especially if there are disagreements on political views. Take a moment to understand a point of view rather than to persuade a point of view. If the election has imposed a form of government on you that you believe is evil and destructive, it will be difficult, but not impossible, to understand that viewpoint. Have a toolkit of phrases to pull from when you are ready to disconnect from a conversation. Phrases like, “Thank you for the conversation but I have to go now” or “I appreciate this conversation, but I must attend to my work now” are great to have handy.
Channel Your Stress into Something Productive – You have the power to impact your community more than you think! It feels good to know you are making a difference. Create a plan to donate, volunteer or share the message of an organization you support. If you have strong feelings towards the political system, see what actions can be taken at the local level.
Limit Media Consumption – Reduce the amount of media you are consuming in a day. Take note of the way the news makes you feel and adjust accordingly. A large amount of exposure to political upheaval can exacerbate feelings of stress and anxiety. Limit TV time and phone screen time. Set parameters on your TV or turn off notifications on your phone.
Talk about it - If you have concerns about the election's outcome and this is impacting relationships with family and friends, talk with them about it. If your emotions interfere with your quality of life, seek professional help.
It might be helpful to revisit Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who wrote "On Death and Dying" in 1969. In this work, she proposed the "Five Stages of Grief": Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Acknowledge that the denial, anger, and depression that will be there on November 6 is normal. For those of us invested in the election's outcome, the result might resemble a form of death and dying. Let's hope we can work through the stages of grief and reach acceptance without losing ourselves. After all, many people live under oppressive conditions while maintaining their humanity and happiness.
Frankly, I don’t know how I will cope, so this is like public journaling. I’m trying to figure it out. I do know that I don’t want to be unhappy and angry for what’s left of my life, and I know what has the potential to make me that way.
In the meantime, I can find comfort in the Serenity Prayer:
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Very well stated. One thing that pulls us apart from one another is politics on a daily basis. Sometimes I wonder about the wisdom of having two political parties?
Guess I need to give our founding Fathers more credit. My preference is to look at the person, not political affiliation. What line of thinking and actions have they taken in the past?. What have they done for our country ? Hopefully the upcoming elections, on all levels, will bring us together and not rip us apart at the very fiber level of our being.
Oosh!! I was not ready to start thinking about this.