The stress around Election Day IS REAL. However events unfold in the next days or weeks, we wanted to share a few resources that might be helpful and give some advice on how to cope and take care of yourself.
1. Take advantage of Miami resources.
Campus Care sessions will continue to take place throughout the semester. These sessions are designed to help students debrief their emotions about current events individually or in small groups with a counselor – no appointment needed!
If you are interested in building skills around productive conversations with people who have different opinions, you can participate in constructive dialogue programming.
Maybe an online tool is more what you’re looking for. Welltrack Boost is free for students and includes several tools, quizzes, short workshops on topics like overcoming anxiety and finding your inner calm. There’s even a “zen room” where you can set your ambiance and type of guided meditation.
Stop by Dog Therapy and pet a pup. There is something about spending time snuggling with the unconditional acceptance of a therapy dog that can just wipe away stress. Therapy dogs are in the Wellness Studio three times each week!
2. Take a break from social media and news
You can easily find yourself doom scrolling or down a 10 foot rabbit hole at basically any time of the year, and even more so during election season. Know your limits. If you’re feeling overly preoccupied or upset, it’s probably time to impose a break for yourself. One strategy is to give yourself a short block of time each morning and in the evening to check in on news and social media, and unplug for the rest of the day.
3. Engage in self-care.
During your digital breaks, take time to focus on something positive. Get outside. Read something for fun. Spend time with friends. Practice deep breathing. Also, yes, you still need to sleep.
4. Be curious.
We all know the algorithms have got us all seeing what we want to see on social. And it’s super easy to only consume news that aligns with your viewpoints as well. Stay curious about others’ perspectives and their reasoning behind it, without immediately jumping to trying to change someone’s mind.
5. Set conversational boundaries.
Despite what the algorithms may imply, there are a lot of people out there who have very different beliefs than you. Yes, healthy discourse is good (especially when you are listening to understand and leading with curiosity). However, it’s also okay to put a pause on conversations if they are getting heated and are not productive. It won’t help anyone to devolve into a shouting match or name calling.
What to say: “I respect your right to your own opinion, but I’m just not in the right headspace to talk about this right now.”
What to say: “Can we not talk about politics? [change the subject] Did you decide if you’re going to study abroad next year?”
6. Channel feelings into action.
However you are feeling this week, it may help take some action, whether that be to write a letter, engage in community service, donate to a cause you care about, join a relevant student org, and so on. You could even make it something less official and just create a vision board to stay positive or decide on some issues or topics you want to educate yourself further on. Taking action, however small, is one way to feel more empowered and little less helpless.
Hang in there, RedHawks! We hope these strategies can help you get through this stressful season.
Inspired by the University of Miami’s Counseling Center.
