This
has been a difficult week for more than half of the nation and a lot of
the world. There are many that are in a phase of grief and mourning.
Collectively mourning a loss certainly is in fact a very personal
experience.
There is high emotion surrounding the hope that was placed on the outcome of this election cycle. That emotion does not disappear, it has now been turned into vast amounts of anxiety for a lot of people. Your feelings are real, your emotions are real. What you are experiencing is real. Take the time to grieve if you must, take time off if you must and most importantly, take care of yourself.
There is high emotion surrounding the hope that was placed on the outcome of this election cycle. That emotion does not disappear, it has now been turned into vast amounts of anxiety for a lot of people. Your feelings are real, your emotions are real. What you are experiencing is real. Take the time to grieve if you must, take time off if you must and most importantly, take care of yourself.
There
is a lot of fear for the future, and that fear can be paralyzing for
some. Make a plan if you can, then return to the here and now, grounding
in the present moment can help alleviate some of the fear and anxiety
for the future. Practice this several times a day if necessary.
A
lot of you are also feeling a loss of control. Attempt to focus on
things you can control. Participate in a group activity. Identify one or
two small things you can do for yourself, create a self care routine
and do some of those things. Connect with your community, they can be a
great source of grounding, strength, care and coping. You are not alone.
Know your strengths and resiliency for the future.
Track
your media usage, stop completely if you must for a while. Ask yourself
how it is making you feel after you use it. Filter usage between
positive and current events, there are many positive things also
happening in the world- be proactive about reminding yourself of that.
Lastly,
we do not choose our circumstances all the time, but we can choose how
we best respond to them. We can make a commitment to ourselves and each
other regarding how we want to be in this world.
We have provided a few links for stress management and self care below:
A new photo of a kitten, every time you refresh: http://www.emergencykitten.com/
6 GIFs to help you relax: http://www.destressmonday.org/6-gifs-help-relax/
Self Compassion Guided Meditation & Exercises: http://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/
Grounding exercises: http://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/
Put your stressful thought in a star and watch it float away: http://www.pixelthoughts.co/#
Song about meditation and letting go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rds7V5Sxu-4
Tools for self care and community care: http://alp.org/breaking-isolation-self-care-and-community-care-tools-our-people
50 Ways to Self Care: http://www.thirteenthoughts.com/50-ways-to-practice-self-care/how-to-practice-self-care-3/
