Where do we even begin?
Its been an anxiety-inducingelection season, and thats only scratching the surface of this relentless year.
Thank goodness the wait is over.
Adrienne Bresnahan/Getty Images
Even with news that former V.P.
Its even harder to adequately process what you mightve experienced over the last four years.
So, above all else, your feelings are valid.
Theres nothing inappropriate about them.
To that end, there is no one way to feel about the outcome of this election.
You are allowed the melange of emotions cropping up.
That said, there is power in naming those feelings, whether out loud or to yourself.
Youre exhausted and overwhelmed.
Its okay to acknowledge that youre tired.
Maybe youve found that the last four years have been erosive in ways you couldnt acknowledge before.
If so,prioritize resteven if you have to get creative about how you find it.
You might wish thered been a more progressive presidential candidate on the ballot, for instance.
Instead, take a moment to acknowledge your anger.
Anger is sometimes more acceptable to express.
So take some deep breathsor try a few othercoping strategiesto help the anger and rage move through you.
When youre ready, you could attempt to pinpoint whats underneath the anger.
If your candidate won, then relief is pretty understandable.
But you might be experiencing relief even if one or more of your chosen candidates didnt win.
Our brains really dont likeuncertainty, so having an answer might bring you some sense of relief.
We tend to want to know the answer and have trouble tolerating ambiguity, Horsham-Brathwaite explains.
Youre worried about your safety.
These worries are likely to continue beyond Inauguration Day.
So your worry isnt without just cause.
Maybe you have similar worries about how normalized hate speech has become, especially over the last four years.
Being concerned and upset is a logical response.
So a Biden win could feel like its righting a cosmic wrong.
It might confirm what you want so desperately to believe about this country.
Or yourjoymight symbolize the hope of a different future (in a year where optimism feels downright delusional).
No matter what everyone around you is feeling, youre allowed to be excited.
You dont know how you feel.
Sometimes its difficult to parse exactly how we feel, and thats totally okay.
You feel positive and negative emotions at the same time.
Maybe youre dealing with a few conflicting emotions.
Perhaps your presidential candidate won, but your state and local choices didnt.
The combination of emotions is truly endless.
And that realizationthat no one candidate is coming to save usmight inspire a host of conflicting emotions.
Its okay if youre experiencing several emotions at the same time.
Youre completely over the electoral process.
If youre disillusioned, youre not alone.
As Horsham-Brathwaite mentions, its helpful for us to control what we can.
While you might’t dismantle and rebuild our political system, organizations likeFairVoteare working on improving our democratic process.
Theres so much work to be done.
Its okay if you still feel sad as much of the world celebrates.
Even if your candidate won, the grief is valid.
Youre inspired to stay politically engaged and wondering what to do next.
Your interest in politics doesnt have to end right nowstay active and keep holding elected officials accountable.
Youre completely checked out.
Maybe youre overwhelmed, or maybe youre just numb to the constant barrage of commentary.
Continued pattern of avoidance and deflection just isn’t helpful for us, Roberts explains.
Youre more concerned about your immediate circumstances.
A hallmark of 2020 includes dealing with multiple crises at once.
If your strongest feeling is wrapped up in some other facet of your life entirely, thats okay.
You feel guilt or shame.
There are lots of reasons you might feel guilt or shame.
Whatever youre feeling, try not to judge yourself too harshly.
Instead, let those feelings inform your actions going forward.
You cant shake the overwhelming sense of uncertainty.
Even though weve figured out who our next president will be, theres still so much we dont know.
We have no idea how a largely conservative Supreme Court will impact our rights.
We have no clue whether or not elected officials will make good on campaign promises.
We have no idea what to expect from the next few months as thenew coronavirus pandemicandflu seasonconverge.
If youre struggling with the uncertainty, c’mon know that it makes sensethere are still massive unknowns.
I see people tolerating and practicing being in the moment.
Youre struggling to find coping mechanisms.
This has been a volatile election, and there are real liberties at stake.
So if youre struggling to cope with everything thats coming up, kindly know that you’re not alone.
