Election Self-Care
Mike Doughty, November ‘24 Newsletter
By the time this newsletter comes out we will most likely know the outcome of the 2024 Election. For many communities, not just LGBTQ+ communities, there is a lot of stress around the election. I won’t take up time going into all of the reasons, but the stress is there and I’m hoping this article can help offer some ways to at least remind people to take care of themselves and try to let go of some of the stress.
First, regardless of the outcome of the Presidential election, try to find other victories to celebrate. That could be a congress election result, or a local election result, or even just you passed your recent exam. It’s important to be able to maintain space for things that need to change or happen on a political level, but also holding space for the positive or things that are changing and moving forward is just as important. It is very easy for anyone to focus on just the negative and bad and start doom-scrolling and without some kind of positive or good reminder that doom-scrolling can block us from seeing past the bad news and prevent any growth or changes that need to occur.
Second, lean on your networks and community members. Sometimes the best way to let go of stress is find those you feel safe with and just letting yourself have that break down and cry, or scream, or let out aggression (like punching a pillow!). Once you are able to have that big release and are a little further removed from those big emotions you can then start to think about what to do next. Maybe the next steps are the same as when you felt overwhelmed with anger or sadness or fear, or maybe the next steps are things that are a lot more tangible and obtainable and you can see a clearer path to that goal without those big emotions taking up your capacity.
Finally, I want to just touch on trying to find things that you can do to help maintain your own care and boundaries. Some people may be considering moving or changing jobs or figuring out legal paperwork depending on who wins the election. Often times those choices are easier if you have savings, or resources to help like family, but for many people they can’t just pick up and move. For the people that don’t have that kind of access, maybe you can join community groups to find support or even help with advocacy. For some people maybe it’s making the decision to have firm boundaries around what you take in – limit time online and social media, step out of/away from conversations around topics you know cause you stress when able, or block/unfriend/mute accounts that post things that send you on a doom-scrolling rabbit hole. I know there is a lot more that could be said about the potential and stress of the election, but I want the main take away from this to be that there is always something to hope for or work towards or stay positive about. Do what you can to use stress to push you towards goals, but don’t let it overwhelm you and find ways to let go of it so that it doesn’t hinder your ability or health.