Is the election leaving you feeling sick? Depressed, angry, fearful, hating or hated, disconnecting or shunned, resentful or resented, condemning or chastised?
Do any of these apply to you? If so, you’re not alone. The aftermath of this or any election can create a tsunami of negative emotions overwhelming many of us mere mortals. These emotions are likely the cause of headaches, colds, and digestive and blood pressure issues. The fact is that our emotions affect us physically. And, left unattended, years after this run-up subsides, we’ll likely see that the “rubble on the beach” consists of chronic and devastating medical conditions.
After decades of voting in elections, I look at most things from a mental health point of view. Whether my candidate won or lost, election fallout may strongly affect us. You may be on the giving or on the receiving end of that fallout. Friendships are ending, grandparents are being prohibited from seeing grandchildren, holiday plans are being cancelled all because of the way someone voted.
While we may be powerless over people, places and things, we are not powerless over ourselves. We can all make choices as to what we’ll subject, and not subject, ourselves. You get to decide if it’s worth risking your health to stay in a detrimental emotional mode. You can consider whether you want to risk ending up with a serious illness a couple of years down the road by perseverating now on something over which you likely have no control. You can decide whether to continue to indulge yourself in unhealthy behaviours just to prove you're 'right', or to please someone else.
William Perry
Victoria
