If you’re reading this, congrats! You either already voted or will be voting in the most important presidential election of our lifetime! But wait… what’s next? Well, why don’t we stop and take a moment to decompress?
Now that the time to cast our ballots is almost over, many at IMPACCT Brooklyn are going through a range of anxiety-related feelings that many people in our community might be dealing with as well. This is to be expected after we have all lived through this extremely intense election period. What’s more, there’s a high chance we won’t hear the results of this election by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, as we have with past elections. The results of the election may bring anxiety, depression, anger, joy and/or a myriad of feelings that challenge your mental health. We anticipate many may feel distressed over the next several days, but please know we are here to support you. As your trusted neighbor, IMPACCT Brooklyn wants to share some insights, tips, and resources that you’ll hopefully find helpful in dealing with the heavy emotions that you and your family members may be experiencing during this time. Please join us as we take a minute to unwind during this stress filled period.
Today, we’re going to go over five Cognitive Behavior Therapy (or CBT) coping techniques you can do individually, with family, or with friends.
JOURNAL ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS
Journaling is a highly recommended stress management tool and a simple way to reduce anxiety. When you journal, you write about whatever’s on your mind or whatever’s upsetting you in a notebook or on your computer or phone. Then, once you’ve identified your fears and anxieties, you can look for ways to challenge these thoughts and relieve the stress and anxiety you’re feeling. If you don’t want to write, feel free to make a visual journal by drawing, doodling, painting, or making a collage to express your feelings.
CREATE A PLAYLIST OF SONGS THAT PUT YOU IN A GOOD MOOD
Music brings everyone enormous comfort from the weight of the world and has been shown to help calm people and better express their feelings. We recommend going on YouTube or Spotify and putting together a list of ten upbeat songs that put you in a good mood. Next time you’re feeling anxious, play the playlist to reflect feelings of euphoria and reduce fear. You can also listen to music that matches your mood, or listen to something totally new!
HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION WITH LOVED ONES ABOUT WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORLD, NO MATTER THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION
Although it might not seem like it, local politics and community involvement are just as important as the presidential election. Gather your friends and family together over Zoom to talk about ways you can be the change in the world you want to see. Some questions might include:
- What issues are our communities facing right now?
- What issues are personally important to me?
- What do I have to offer the world?
- What do I have the capacity to contribute?
- Are there any organizations I could team up with to work towards this goal?
CREATE AN ART PROJECT
Creating art has numerous mental health benefits, including improving your self-esteem, providing an emotional release, and relieving stress. It also stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel better and helps battle anxiety or depression. Art is a broad term, and there’s a project for everyone to enjoy! You can buy some paint and canvas, use watercolors, sculpt something out of clay, buy a cheap camera nd take pictures, or even use materials you have sitting around your home, like wood, paper, nail polish, an old table, etc. to create something.
WRITE A POEM, SPOKEN WORD PIECE, OR SONG
Similar to journaling, poetry and spoken word pieces are a great tool to express yourself and engage in a self-healing process when it comes to intrusive and unwanted thoughts. They can be a source of comfort, a way to tap into a shared experience, or even serve as a platform for change. There are many types of poems that you can use to express yourself. When you’re done, share on Social media and tag IMPACCT Brooklyn so others in the community know that they are not alone.
Register here for IMPACCT Brooklyn’s Post-Election Forum, where we’ll be going over helpful mental health tips tips and to listening to community voices and concerns.
