How to Protect Your Mental Health During Unpredictable Times

Camping trips are my very favorite vacation. Being in nature with the simplicity of just the essentials — amazing food cooked over an open fire, laughter with friends and family, and technology-free activities — is, simply put, paradise. All campers know that to enjoy this kind of freedom you must also prepare a lot. It is imperative to have all of the necessary equipment to truly enjoy the experience. If you are cold, hungry, or ill-prepared for danger, it is not only unenjoyable but can be downright miserable.

The great outdoors is unpredictable. Nature, itself, is unpredictable. Interestingly, campers have a deep understanding of this fact and do not fight it. They don’t expect that there will be no rain. They don’t expect that they will know which animals they will come into contact with. Preparation allows campers to navigate without anxiety and fear.

Human behavior, especially group behavior, is also unpredictable and, yet, causes most of us a great deal of anxiety and fear. Take election season. It feels like being on a stallion without stirrups at times… dangerous and unpredictable. It leads me to ponder a question. If we have ways to prepare for the uncertainty in nature, why do we feel so ill-prepared when it comes to the uncertainty of human behavior?

As Viktor Frankl stated, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” We do not have complete control over the dynamics that are occurring in our country and the world. We may be deeply concerned, deeply invested in the election outcome, deeply involved in community activism, and, still, on a daily basis, we must find ways to navigate in a way that aligns with how we want to feel.

Individuals and groups most impacted by the outcome of the election truly need skillful ways to navigate during this challenging time. Many people are struggling financially or are dealing with illness or loss due to the pandemic and may find that the added collective anxieties feel like too much to bear. And, individuals working hard towards helping those that are suffering or working on being impactful politically are certainly at an increased risk for burn-out right now.

Preparing for the election means protecting one’s mental well-being. It means we need to figure out ways to feel a bit safer and more secure as each day unfolds. Essentially, we need an election season survival guide that works much like a survival pack one might take into the woods. It must serve to provide safety, security, and allow us to enjoy the good things around us while, simultaneously, allowing us to work with what is going on around us that requires our attention.

Your election survival guide begins with these 7 steps…

1. Find community! Surround yourself with the people in your life who are like-minded and support your growth and learning. Examine your different social and work groups and notice the level of support that these individuals provide. If your social circle seems limited, finding compatible peers can be achieved by connecting on social media. In other words, you can be deliberate in your quest for your tribe! Explore the issues that you really care about right now and find the people around you who are also committed to learning about and working on similar issues. Having a collective consisting of specific friends, family or colleagues feels supportive and nurturing during turbulent times.

2. Develop and enjoy self-care routines. Self-care practices include a wide variety of activities or rituals. Anything that feels caring or nurturing to the body, mind, or spirit renews one’s energy. Self-care can be accomplished in many small moments such as lighting a candle or sipping on a warm beverage or can be lengthy acts such as taking a long walk or reading a spiritual book. Self-care can be costly such as a professional massage or completely free such as a bath or shower with a pleasant smelling soap. It really distills down to becoming conscious of choosing a routine that inspires self-compassion.

3. Understand your privilege. It may seem absurd to include a personal privilege assessment in an election season survival kit because of feelings of guilt or shame that have accompanied the exploration of privilege, but it truly belongs. Gaining awareness of other people’s experiences and challenges that you have not had to encounter due to unearned status, exposes a more comprehensive view of our world. Empathy consists of deep caring but requires deep knowledge. When we understand our privilege, we can use our empathy to create change. For example, we may recognize moments when we could easily stay silent due to our privilege and we can select to bravely speak up. We empower ourselves when we understand our privilege and see the world more clearly.

4. Get grateful. When our emotions are being stirred from the news and the collective divisiveness, feelings of gratitude can be fleeting or altogether absent. Remember… gratitude is an attitude! Attitudes can be created with our thoughts and reflections. It requires scanning the environment and our experiences with an intention to feel gratitude. Gratitude may feel more elusive during this challenging season which is why seeking it out is so essential.

5. Help others AND ask for help. Helping others seems to make every list, and it does so for good reason. The act of doing for others fosters self-esteem, connection, and actually releases chemicals in the brain that cultivate a sense of well-being. There are countless ways to help such as taking out the trash for your neighbor, genuinely listening to a friend, or volunteering your time, to name just a few. And, importantly, when you need help, ask for it! For many people, asking for help is really difficult. It can be quite vulnerable, but the most courageous, productive, and strong people know that they, too, need others. And when asking for help feels uncomfortable, remember that most people greatly appreciate the opportunity to be helpful.

6. Explore your faith. Exploring your faith can be religious, spiritual, or an examination of one’s sense of trust in themselves and others. This is not a “one size fits all” recommendation. Trust and faith create a sense of safety. For so many, conflict activates the nervous system. Watching the news or talking with others can feel like walking through a field with landmines. The anticipation of conflict alone is enough to erode a sense of security. Faith or trust imbues us with safety and serves as an antidote to the turbulence in our current environment. Seeking a therapist, a religious leader, a teacher, or a book on faith or trust can be so important for your mental health.

7. Laugh! Laughter truly is the best medicine. When times are difficult, laughter facilitates conversation, connection, and healing. It can be tempting to shy away from laughing when there are serious problems in our world that require attention. It is in these times, however, that we need laughter the most. It is a free resource available to all. Focus on finding and enjoying humor.

The suffering and divisiveness that we see around us require our attention. My hope is that with an election survival guide in mind and practice, our world can be navigated with more health and ease. Similar to the first aid kit that accompanies each camping trip, putting a focus on your well-being will allow you to handle unforeseen forces that are beyond your control this election season. Equipped with a wellness guide, you can attend to your life and others with more energy and care.