Crazy doesn’t even begin to describe how this election season’s been impacting the United States and probably the entire world (I’m sure our pals Canada and England are watching!). You are probably sick to death from hearing about more “October surprises”, witnessing the seemingly endless back n forth character assassination between the candidates, or annoyed with watching t.v news panels’ objective discussions on politics transform into ugly shouting matches. Whether you are voting for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, or a third party, you are probably telling yourself “I can’t wait for the election to be over!” We’re almost there and you are not alone.
So here are 3 ways to help you handle election fatigue and get you through election day:
- Turn off the news every now and then!
It is tempting to keep up with the polls. Or maybe you are catching yourself waiting to hear more controversy about either candidate. Stop! Take a break! This election has been overtly ugly. Every headline you want to discuss with somebody has the potential now to become a nasty personal fight. By avoiding the news, you are giving yourself a chance to not be overwhelmed with negativity. Did you miss an episode of “Queen Sugar”? Watch that instead of your favorite cable news program.
- Avoid heated political discussions, especially on social media!
This is a tough one because everyone has an opinion these days. Unfortunately, some can not help themselves from starting a discussion about politics that seems innocent for a while but turns nasty as soon as somebody mentions who they are voting for. On social media, it’s worse. Stay away from all of that! The minute you feel like a conversation is not going anywhere just get up and leave. No need to be rude. Just politely excuse yourself from the conversation. You can go an extra step by not updating your Facebook status with negative thoughts about the election or by refusing to opinions on either candidate. I’ve tried this myself and I feel less bogged down by negativity in the comment section. Talk about things that make you happy, whatever that is. Heck! Talk about the World Series, even if you are not an avid sports fan. It’s much better than talking about email scandals, Trump not revealing his tax returns, WikiLeaks, or Russia! Better yet, hang out with non-political folk. You will have no choice but to not talk about politics by hanging out with them.
- Go to places where you don’t even have to bring up politics
Go to an art museum, a movie theater, or a play! Do you have a friend who doesn’t own a television? Awesome, now go chill at their place. There’s a jazz concert 1,000 miles from your apartment? Nice. Buy yourself a ticket and check out some new artists. You can also take a walk to your local park. Try yoga! Its so quiet and people are too busy stretching themselves like pretzels to even bring up politics. Getting out of the house where you are prone to turning your tv channel to a 24-hour news station will help ease your fatigue. Fresh air can help lift your spirits up if you let it.
Okay! Real talk. Even if you are beyond done with this election, you still have to vote. No matter how bad the headlines are or how tight the race is according to the polls. None of what’s going on in the news should stop you from voting. Even it looks troublesome, don’t let it get you down. In fact, you may have a good idea of who you want to vote for. If not, educate yourself on both candidates and make a decision.
Let your fatigue motivate you to vote on Election Day aka TOMORROW! We are almost done.
