How will you optimize your personal mental health if "the other guy" wins the election?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Nov 1, 2020

Stock up on chocolate bars, Constant Comment tea and Harlequin Romances along with avoiding reading Twitter feeds.

allnurses Guide · Nov 3, 2020

Singing along with Youtube music. With the state of Georgia in the news I have been enjoying this old song. got to hear Doc Watson live a few times. What a treat!

Here is another favorite, Doc's friend Mississippi John Hurt. I was blessed to go hear him with my Grandma. He shook her hand! I love to sing his songs while driving and working around the house and yard:

Doc sings a song about John Hurt by Tom Paxton and Dave Von Ronk:

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2020

I don't think I've ever been more anxious about an election in my lifetime.

I will first have to acknowledge my feelings and feel them. They will be all over the place.

Then I'll pick myself up and move on. I've been on the losing end of many issues over the years, but this would be the biggest disappointment I think of them all, but life goes on.

toomuchbaloney · Nov 3, 2020

Our oldest child may want to take her children into Canada should Trump remain in power. We'll assist with that, contacting extended family for them, etc.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2020

Looks like I am going to have to look after my mental health.

Trump easily won Florida. I thought he would but not with such decisive ease. Also, his supporters Graham and McConnell easily kept the Senate in their hands.

Florida house and senate remains republican.

I'm used to losing but my anxiety level has been high this election. I'm coping right now with cooking and cleaning and will exercise later and burn off some of this anxiety.

The Presidential race isn't over, but it shouldn't have been so difficult and that disappoints me greatly. I have to process what this means for us as Americans. It certainly means we don't care about each other...we don't care if our President lies, we don't care if someone doesn't have health care, we don't care if someone doesn't have a good education or good nutrition, and we certainly don't care about the environment.

I trust the American Democratic process at the end of the day.

Yep, gotta dig deep into my self-care repertoire right now.

myoglobin, ASN, BSN, MSN · Nov 4, 2020

I see something for each side to be happy (or at least less sad) about. If your are a Democrat:

a. Looks like Biden carries Arizona, Wisconsin, and Michigan. He had razor thin margins of perhaps losing in Georgia and North Carolina. This portends poorly for Republicans in the future as it seems that Arizona may be going the way of Colorado and going blue in the long run.

b. Although, they didn't gain the Senate, they gained a vote and if Biden ends up President they get another vote from the VP. This bodes well for many pieces of legislation.

c. Although, Trump tried I don't see evidence that he picked up more of the black vote beyond the 8 or 9% he got in 2016.

d. Once again you easily won the popular vote.

Okay, now lets say you are a Republican. Here are some positives:

a. You held the Senate, So there probably won't be any successful packing efforts in the Supreme Court, elimination of the filibuster rule, or adoption of states like Puerto Rico which would mean you wouldn't win a national election for the next 50 to 100 years. Also, the efforts eliminate the electoral system are likely to be stopped or delayed.

b. You picked up a few seats in the House when you were expected to lose more. This means that you have a reasonable chance of taking the House in the mid term elections given that the incumbent President (probably Biden) usually loses House seats.

c. We are probably going to have a recession at some point soon and you will take less blame than if Trump were still President.

d. Looks like Trump will take a record percentage of Hispanic voters with around 40% nationally, and around 45% in Florida. This represents at least some hope if this can be built upon for your party.

Ultimately, the "mental health" positive take away for me may be that as individuals we can do far more to impact our own happiness, (or misery) and that of our families, neighbors and others than either Biden or Trump (or the rest of the government) will likely accomplish. Thus, if "your side" lost it may mean putting more effort(s) into areas of your life where you wish to improve and the causes that you believe are important. Also we had record turnout which is a good thing.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Nov 4, 2020

Sure, I can put effort into my my life, but I cannot turn off my horror at children being caged at our southern border, and effectively orphaned because of an evil government. I cannot turn off the impending sense of doom of people, including HCP, dying needlessly of a virus because our president can't make a profit off of it. I cannot turn off my frustration about the racial and social inequities that go on every day in this country. I can put away the sadness I feel about the world I am leaving my grandkids, but only for a short time.

toomuchbaloney · Nov 4, 2020

It's not a good thing when a well known racist liar and cheat can get so many votes even after killing a couple hundred thousand Americans with incompetence and lies. It's not a good thing when that high a percentage of the population can support that level of unacceptable behavior and attitude that is reflected by Trump. That amount of ignorant animus is never a good thing in a country.

myoglobin, ASN, BSN, MSN · Nov 4, 2020

Yes, but I would argue that those on the other side suffer "equal psychic pain" at issues "they" consider to be equally horrifying. If the focus is only on the areas of contention then it leads to and inevitable escalation, argument and sometimes outright conflict. Thus, working with clients in Seattle about 5/8 clients echo your perspective. However, I will also encounter maybe 2/10 (who express an opinion) who will say something like. "How can I turn off my horror.... at"

a. At a nation that aborts hundreds of thousand of children per year mostly of racial minorities (they sometimes term this racial genocie). While employing socialist policies that turn inner city neighborhoods into dependent ghettos (they believe Democrats are racist in their policies).

b. That wants to embrace socialism that they believe would take away our liberties and turn us into someplace like (fill in the blank China, Venezuala ect).

c. Minimize our borders in such as way that would in effect negate our national sovereignty.

Both sides are equally sincere and equally upset and neither is likely to completely prevail and both sides are convinced as to the correctness of their positions. In many cases I find both "clients" to be equally loving to their families, friends and neighbors and others, but they disagree at fundamental levels and believe that those on the other side are "evil" or otherwise "deluded". My answer is to instead focus on elements of their lives that they can control and at the same time encourage them to support peaceful volunteer endeavors or political movements that may enhance the possibility of their visions becoming more true.

toomuchbaloney · Nov 4, 2020

13 minutes ago, myoglobin said:

Yes, but I would argue that those on the other side suffer "equal psychic pain" at issues "they" consider to be equally horrifying. If the focus is only on the areas of contention then it leads to and inevitable escalation, argument and sometimes outright conflict. Thus, working with clients in Seattle about 5/8 clients echo your perspective. However, I will also encounter maybe 2/10 (who express an opinion) who will say something like. "How can I turn off my horror.... at"

a. At a nation that aborts hundreds of thousand of children per year mostly of racial minorities (they sometimes term this racial genocie). While employing socialist policies that turn inner city neighborhoods into dependent ghettos (they believe Democrats are racist in their policies).

b. That wants to embrace socialism that they believe would take away our liberties and turn us into someplace like (fill in the blank China, Venezuala ect).

c. Minimize our borders in such as way that would in effect negate our national sovereignty.

Both sides are equally sincere and equally upset and neither is likely to completely prevail and both sides are convinced as to the correctness of their positions. In many cases I find both "clients" to be equally loving to their families, friends and neighbors and others, but they disagree at fundamental levels and believe that those on the other side are "evil" or otherwise "deluded". My answer is to instead focus on elements of their lives that they can control and at the same time encourage them to support peaceful volunteer endeavors or political movements that may enhance the possibility of their visions becoming more true.

Baloney.

The government doesn't abort anything. Women exercise control over their reproductive health when their conservative conservative neighbors allow them that autonomy.

The notion that liberals embrace socialism that will limit individual freedoms is a lie, nonsense, partisan propaganda. Your credibility suffers for sharing something so ridiculous as if it is accepted fact.

Our borders are currently, under Trump's regime, the site of intentional racially motivated cruelty directed specifically at children. Hundreds of children have been stolen from parents by Trump sycophants with no hope of being reunited. Our borders are so tight right now we can't travel out of country...you know Trump's failed pandemic response.

Nah. Good people don't vote for obvious dishonesty, infidelity or corruption.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Nov 4, 2020

Ate through 3 regular size Hershey bars yesterday + 1 Reeses PB cup -- thankfully, last of Halloween candy. Constant Comment steeping. Did check Trump, Joyce Vance and George Conway Twitter today --nothing new.

Next, finishing sewing new face masks as COVID not going away today. Wore my red and white stars mask to vote yesterday, received compliments. ?