We can’t turn around these days without seeing politics and political debates. Facebook is filled with hateful shouts of opinions and the supermarkets are lined with magazines with bold headlines about our country and our current president. We can’t escape it, and we shouldn’t. We need to aware and educated on the status of our country and of this world.
But that doesn’t mean that everything doesn’t get just a little overwhelming sometimes. So, in hopes of bringing just a little bit more relaxation to a world full of stress, here are 15 tips for what to do when the world just gives you a little too much anxiety.
1. Write.
You can scream your opinions and your facts at everyone all you want, if that helps. But for those of us that just need to gather our thoughts and remember to breathe, writing or journalling can be a great way to do that. Get out all of your political frustrations on paper so that when you jump into that long debate on the whether or not Planned Parenthood should lose their funding, you are a little more level-headed and can lead your argument with facts and not emotion.
2. Put your phone on 'Do Not Disturb.'
Just for an hour or so. Looking at Facebook or twitter constantly is not good for your brain and can lead to more anxiety than the relaxed state that you originally opened the app in search of.
3. Have a “no politics” friends night.
Get all your best buddies together for games, or movies, but make the first rule not to bring up politics. That way everyone can have a good time without anyone screaming at each other over who they voted for.
4. Love on your pets.
They don’t care whether you’re a liberal or a conservative. All they care about is that you rub their belly and give them treats.
5. Binge some Disney movies.
Finding Dory is now on Netflix. You’re welcome.
6. Cat videos.
Enough Said.
7. Go out for ice cream.
I think it’s well understood that ice cream parlors are politics-free zones. No one wants to discuss whether or not the travel ban should be reinstated when they are busy trying to decide between Rocky Road and Mint Chocolate Chip.
8. Do something nice for someone else.
If you are out and about and you feel that political anxiety start to tighten your breath, then do something kind for someone else that may be feeling the same way. You can pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line or you can let the mother with the crying baby go in front of you at the checkout counter. Remind everyone that even though we may disagree on some issues, we are still capable of being kind to one another.
9. Volunteer.
If you just cannot escape that political-driven life, even for just a moment, then do something to support your cause. Volunteer to be a patient escort for Planned Parenthood or go and donate blood. Do something that takes your anxiety and turns it into something productive and beneficial for those around you.
10. Clean your house.
Sometimes we get so focused on trying to debate everyone on the internet that we forget that our lives are still moving along around us. Take a second to rotate your laundry or to vacuum your floors. A clean house is a clean mind and then you can take on the internet trolls once again.
11. Breathe.
Take a breath. We get so caught up in our argument that our face can turn red and our brain moves to fast and sometimes you just need to sit back and breathe. Take just a moment to remember that no matter who you are arguing with or what you are arguing over, you are both people. You both have feelings and emotions and you both think that you are doing the right thing.
Take just a second to remember that name-calling does not get your point across and that trying to understand a different viewpoint can be nothing but beneficial. Take a moment to breathe and remind yourself that you are both human. Take one breathe to remember that kindness is better than hatred.
