How to protect yourself from election day

Today in the United States it’s election day…in case you hadn’t heard. To say it’s been a little stressful for the country would be an understatement. In fact, I’m supposed to be writing about adrenals today, but that’s just not going to happen because it’s not what’s happening in my world. 

What is happening in my world is how toxic I feel from the last year and a half of campaign coverage and mud slinging. How the ugliness from all sides has penetrated into my daily life. And this is with a strict policy to turn off the radio at the mere mention of the campaign.  So today I’m acknowledging the anxiety, stress, and fear I am feeling and then I’m taking back my control.

Step 1: Vote. I voted with my little girls like I always do because if you don’t use your rights you lose your rights. I value my right to vote, and honestly, at this point, this is the only meaningful control I can exert in the process.

Step 2: Back away from your devices. For me, this means no radio, no Twitter, very little Facebook, and a whole lot of good music. I choose to not expose myself to that which will stress me out!

Step 3: Prioritize your mental and physical health. This morning after voting and dropping off the kiddos, I had a nutrient-dense breakfast and did some yoga to focus my mind. A little extra self-care on days like today will go a long way to protecting your body from stress

So that’s it, three simple steps and you should be fine today…okay, maybe it just means you won’t end the day in a ball of stress.

We cannot control the outcome of today (or any days), but you can guard your health by refusing to let those events dictate how you will respond. Besides, in the immortal words of Hagrid, “What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.”