If you're a "Nervous Nelly" and find yourself holed up at home today trying desperately to find a distraction before the polls close at 8 p.m. and the results of who will run our country for the next four years are announced, this article is for you.
You're not alone in feeling this dreaded election anxiety.
So take some deep breaths, take a break and remember to focus on you're mental health through the election process.
1. Do yoga
One of the best things to do when your brain is feeling like a tangled ball of yarn is yoga. SarahBethYoga on YouTube has all sorts of recorded video lessons.
Whether you want one specifically for stress relief, you want to lose weight, you are pregnant or just gave birth, or you want a morning wake up or bedtime cool down, there's a playlist for it on her channel.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, yoga and other stress-reduction and self-soothing techniques have been studied since the 1970s as potential treatments for anxiety and depression.
Yoga classes can vary based on your choice of style, physical ability and personal performance. The most common type of yoga practiced in the U.S. is Hatha yoga, which combines asanas (physical poses) with controlled breathing and a short period of deep meditation or relaxation.
2. Listen to binaural beats
Binaural beats occur when you hear two tones, one in each ear, that are slightly different in frequency — your brain processes a beat at the difference of the two frequencies.
Here's an example by Healthline:
Let's say you're listening to a sound in your left ear that's a frequency of 132 Hertz (Hz) and in your right ear that's a frequency of 121 Hz. Your brain will gradually fall into synchrony with the difference, or 11 Hz.
Binary beats are considered auditory illusions and, according to Healthline, for it to work, the two tones have to have frequencies less than 1,000 Hz and the difference between the two tones cannot be more than 30 Hz.
In general:
To properly utilize a binaural beat, Healthline suggests finding a comfortable place free of distractions and setting aside a duration of at least 30 minutes to make sure the rhythm is entrained throughout the brain.
3. Journal
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Write about your feelings and thoughts related to today's stressful events as if you were explaining it to a friend, family member or therapist.
While it's something very hard to fulfillingly accomplish, because it opens up a very raw and vulnerable side of you, this will help you to fully explore and release the emotions you are feeling.
According to Very Well Mind, there are a few different strategies for journaling. You could try:
Writing things down can declutter your mind.
4. Watch a comfort show, movie
According to Today, who spoke with Will Meyerhofer, a New York-based psychotherapist and author, watching old favorite shows or movies can be a useful tool for dealing with anxiety.
Take it back in time, back to when things may have been easier for you, back to when things felt safe and secure in this world of increasing and crushing chaos. Nostalgia is necessary.
For example, Freeform is hosting a marathon of the four Hunger Games movies today. Currently, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is premiering on Freeform East and "The Hunger Games" is wrapping up on Freeform West.
Other good shows and movies, which are also my personal favorites, to take the edge off include, but are not limited to:
5. Spend time with friends, family, or your pet
Social support. It's what we all need right now. Someone who shares our same beliefs that we can lean on in times of crisis, when we feel the world is against us.
Being part of a network of people gives you a sense of belonging and self-worth. According to Healthline, one study found that for women in particular, spending time with friends and children helps release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever — this is called "tend and befriend," the opposite of "fight or flight."
Spending time with a pet has the same reaction.
Being part of a network of people can also make you laugh. Laughing relieves your stress response and tension by relaxing your muscles. Also according to Healthline, another study found that for people with cancer in particular who were involved in a laughter intervention group experienced more stress relief than those who were simply distracted.
6. Aromatherapy
Specific scents can bring an aura of bliss among an anxious being. Whether from a candle or a diffuser full of essential oils, some of the most soothing according to Healthline include:
Be sure to do a patch test if you plan on applying them topically, as some can cause allergic reactions. Similarly, essential oils are not safe for everyone. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor beforehand.
Remember, not all essential oils are created equal, so you should only buy them from a reputable source — they are not monitored by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.
