Election Stress 2020: Mental Health Advice for Coping
Join Colorado Women's College at 12 P.M. (MDT) TODAY for a discussion with Dean Shelly Smith-Acuña and Dean Ann Ayers. They will be discussing the mental health impacts of Election Day and ways to cope.
How to tune in:
• Like and follow the Colorado Women's College Facebook page
• Register for the Friday Feature Facebook Live event
• Tune-in on our Facebook page at 11:55 am MDT. The video will pop up on the page at 12:00 pm MDT.
If you aren't able to join the Facebook LIVE today, check out Dean Smith-Acuña's strategies for coping below.
5 Strategies for Managing Election Stress
Limit or curate your media use - It's important to notice when you are getting too much media or the wrong kind of media. Be aware of your intake and stop watching or scrolling if you feel it impacting your mental health.
Build your own toolkit of strategies for dealing with anxiety - Now that you've ditched unhealthy media intake, what can you replace that with? It's important to be intentional when picking self-care activities. When you start feeling anxious or stressed, shift your focus to something that is good for you like exercise, art, reaching out to a friend, or heading outdoors.
Remember your positive values and use them as a touchstone - Rather than focusing on the negative aspects on an opposing side - bring your attention back to your own positive values. Know that those are still your values and think about ways that you can live out those values.
Take the long view - We may wish this would be over soon, but the challenges, divisiveness, and growth opportunities will continue past the election. That's okay. Settle in. Find comfort in the big picture and know that it's a work in progress. Find ways to pace yourself and know this is a long process.
Get help if you need it - There has never been a better moment to stop and seek out support if you need it. It is okay to say that you need help and to access available resources. If you're not sure where to start, click here to learn more about our community clinics.
