Another election has come and gone. For that, I am thankful.
Sure, there will be grousing and threats and finger-pointing, but that happens to varying degrees in almost every election cycle. But this one, which seemed to be particularly nasty and angry to me, is finally (mostly) over.
So now it is time to take down the yard signs – seriously, take them down. I don’t think anyone is in the mood to stare at yard signs for any candidate right now – even one they supported. It is time to scrape those stickers off of your car. It is time to start mending fences with friends and family members you cut out of your life because they didn’t support “your” candidate.
Actually, I can see a lot of this going on across the country. For some reason, social media like twitter and Facebook have made the divisions in this country feel like Grand Canyons. Me? I just snooze people who post too much political stuff – left, right or center – until after the election.
Of course, the people who post anything that is too out of step with my personal beliefs – like anything racist – I just unfriend. Simple to do, and most probably don’t even notice.
Thankfully, we are now getting back to conversations about families and vacations and our dogs. And, of course, this horrifying uptick in Coronavirus cases. It is scary.
For anyone having a hard time decompressing after the election, either because your candidate or candidates lost, or because yours won, here are some things you can do to take your mind off of politics and put it back in the real world.
* Do Yoga. I know, I know. Yoga sounds so New Age, right? But seriously a lot of people are getting into Yoga as a way to relieve stress and decompress from their hectic days. Yoga is a great way to center your mind and body. For record, there is no way I would do Yoga.
* Paint. Putting your emotions onto the canvass with a splash of color and joy is a wonderful way to be artistic and also take yourself out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Explore your inner artist by painting beautiful landscapes or creating unique forms with your brush. Or you could come over and paint my house. It certainly needs a new coat, and it will make me feel calm.
* Spend more time enjoying being around your family. Share meals and have deep conversations. Take a trip day trip together in the car. Explore the region and enjoy the company of those you are closest to. No, grandpa, we are not going to talk about the election. No… grandpa… we. Can we drop him off at Road Ranger?
* Read a good book. I like to read and read multiple books per month. It is a great way to unwind after a long and stressful day. Books can take you to a world you will never know – world’s that don’t even exist. A good book can be better than taking a trip. I would encourage you, however, to stay away from modern politics, or books on how to win debates on social media.
Seriously, I just hope we can all move past this election period and get back to just enjoying life and pulling together to beat down this virus. We can do it – and we don’t need yoga.
