Election Stress
As the national election looms this week, we are a nation seeming to go about our business while anxiety rises up like a tide within us, and in the spaces between us. The shape of our fears will largely determine how we vote this week. A grand and hopeful vision for the future is almost too much for anyone to hope for, given the depth and extremity of our divisions and the disparate stories we are living into as a fractured society. Instead, we find ourselves just hoping to hold onto our fragile democracy and hard-won freedoms, and if possible, to escape violence in the weeks and months to come. Avoiding previously unthinkable levels of catastrophe is a more dominant thought than any sweet hope of a generative, united state of the union.
If this is taking a toll on your nervous system, you are not alone. Some signs that your body is stressed may include:
sleep issues, like insomnia, or fatigue that makes it difficult to wake, or a combination
sensations in your chest, like tightness or feeling ‘wired’
sensations in your gut, like nausea or tension, loss of appetite, or compulsion for comfort foods
shallow breathing or breath-holding without realizing this is happening
shoulder and neck tension, shoulders elevated and/or rolled forward more than usual
mood changes, tearfulness, short-tempered, distracted
weak or numb feelings in arms and legs
rumination, dark thoughts recirculating and interrupting your focus
feeling of generalized dread
difficulty coping with normal stressors
Anticipating this election is feeling to me like waiting for a biopsy result, wondering as I go about my daily life what the outcome will be, and if malignant, how metastasized this cancer has become on our nation.
I am reminded constantly that all of this is alive not just in our minds, but held in our bodies. And I am grateful for every tool that enables me to face whatever chaos may be coming with courage and care. Some of these are so simple and known to us, and yet so effective when we are able to stop and do them. Here are a few simple ways to care for a stressed and anxious body this week.
Drink as much water as you can.
Get outside, even if it’s cold and raining, even for a few minutes of fresh air.
Go for a walk and notice every beautiful or interesting thing you can take into your senses. If it helps you focus, write down what you see, hear, and smell.
Lay on your back, in bed or on the floor, with your knees bent. Place a hand on your belly. Take long, slow breaths while pressing your hand outward on inhale, and letting it sink down on exhale. Do this for 5 minutes, or as long it takes to establish a calm belly-breathing pattern.
Laying or standing, begin with your toes and work to the top of your head, slowly moving each joint in your body and pausing to stretch wherever you find tightness or tension. Toes, ankles, knees, hips, mid-back, shoulders, and neck. Breathe deeply throughout.
I am considering offering some free movement workshops in the coming weeks, focused entirely on movement for calming and regulating our nervous systems in a group setting. If you are interested in attending this kind of gathering, will you please drop a note in my contact form? I promise not to add you to any spam lists or contact you for any reason other than what you’ve requested! Thank you in advance.
Meanwhile, may you be grounded in courage, care, and love in the days and weeks to come.