No matter what side of the political aisle you’re on, recent weeks have been very stressful politically.
For this week’s Feel Good Friday, we will discuss some tips on how to cope with Socio-Political stress.
Boston University has a list of useful stress relievers that we feel you might be able to find useful.
Limit your Intake of News and Social Media
Sometimes we can’t help but binge the news, even when it becomes a detriment. However, there are apps (such as LeechBlock or SelfControl) that can help you by temporarily blocking access to social media or certain websites.
Staying informed is always a good thing, but often we need to take a break so that we can decompress!
Maintain your Routine and Engage in Healthy Activities
While it can be easy to stay on news sites and spam the F5 key, often this can come at the cost of our productivity.
Be sure to keep a healthy balance between keeping tuned to what is going on politically, while also seeing to your responsibilities and daily schedule. Not only will this give you plenty of breathers, but it will also help to keep you grounded.
Practice Relaxation
Try stress relieving activities. For instance, read this past Feel Good Friday that gave some helpful stress-relief tips!
Recognize your Limits
These are turbulent times, politically. It’s important to keep in mind exactly what you can and can not do to help and make a difference, and to not be cruel to yourself in regards to what you can not change.
Engage in Healthy Communication and Seek Community
Check in on your loved ones, and openly communicate about what you and the others are feeling. Help to educate others as to why you believe what you believe, and then be receptive as to what they believe. At the end of the day, though we may have different ideologies there is almost always common ground.
Acknowledge Feelings
Do not forbid yourself from feeling one way or the other. Acknowledge how you feel concerning recent events, perhaps anxiety concerning future ones, and own those feelings. Emotions are natural reactions, they don’t need to be demonized. Admit to yourself how you feel, process why you feel them, and continue to work through them.
If you find you need help processing your emotions, Optimae is always willing to help! Feel free to email info@optimaelifeservices.com or go to our locations page to find your local Optimae LifeServices site.
Remember, with any change comes stress for most everyone … but one must remember that much like with the sea, chaotic waves will always inevitably give way to calmer waters. Much as the poet Robert Frost said, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.”