We’re getting into the homestretch of the election, and it’s becoming uglier than ever. Trump is desperate and flustered, which is making him even more of a loose cannon than ever. He and his surrogates are fomenting discontent and pushing the idea that the elections are rigged. This is a stupid idea because there are several mechanisms in place to prevent that, but Trump’s supporters are more than willing to believe that. To be fair, they’re not the only ones. Some Bernie supporters were grumbling that Clinton rigged the primaries. It’s not the first time this has come up, and it certainly won’t be the last, but this is the first time the losing side has threatened insurrection and sedition. I don’t think they’re kidding, either, and that scares me. I think most of them are full of shit, more comfortable huddled behind a keyboard and a monitor*, spewing their vitriol than actually do anything in real life. It only takes a few, however, and there have been more than one official government type person who has warned of bloodshed if Clinton is elected. This is highly irresponsible, obviously, not to mention illegal if they’re actually inciting insurrection. Most are careful to couch it in terms of a verbal uprising, but it’s easy enough to read between the lines.
It can be overwhelming to read the political news these days. My heart starts beating rapidly when I scroll my Twitter TL and read one outrageous Trump tidbit after another. Mind you, I’m not surprised by anything I read, but I’m still disgusted and distressed. The idea of a President Trump terrifies me beyond anything I can articulate. This whole election has been surreal as I can’t believe we’re in this situation in the first place. How the fuck is this real life? If it weren’t so dire, I’d be tempted to laugh in disbelief. It is funny in a macabre way, and it’s something we can warn generations to come as long as Trump doesn’t win. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, but I’m still not comfortable thinking this is won. I try not to obsess about the election, but it’s hard. Most of the people I follow on Twitter are into politics (same with Facebook), so it’s been pretty much 24/7 Trump for several months.
I need a break. I’m sure you do, too. I know we want to be conscientious citizens, but goddamn it, American elections are way too fucking long. This should have been over months ago, and yet, we still have three weeks left. I just want to wave a white flag and say, “Enough!” Can we please just vote tonight and get it over with? This is a gentle reminder that you don’t have to steep yourself in the election for hours on end. Instead, do one of the following things. I guarantee you’ll feel much better afterwards.
- Do something that soothes you. Take a luxurious bubble bath while eating truffles, for example. Wear fleece that softly caresses your skin. Cuddle with an animal friend if you have one. I have a warm cat on my legs as I type this. Snuggle down under a comfy duvet and just let yourself be enveloped by softness. Indulge your sense of touch–one that I tend to neglect more foten than not.
- Turn off social media for a day or two. This one is especially difficult for me. I am a compulsive social media checker, and I have to tell myself that Twitter will go on without me and be just fine. I’ve said before that within seconds of checking Twitter, I can feel my pulse quicken and my mood go sour if I read anything about Trump. Or liberals bickering with each other about who is holier than thou. Or people scolding anyone they deem to be not espousing the correct view. Or the ranting on the outrage of the day. Within five minutes, I’m rolling my eyes and fighting the urge to be the ‘well, actually’ gal. More often than not, I’ve had to walk away before I say something intemperate. It’s a shame because the good parts of social media, people I like, funny animal videos, memes, witty repartee, hunky and beautiful celebs, are plentiful. So are the kindhearted people who are trying to be good to each other. It’s just that the negative voices can be loud and persistent, they overshadow the positivity.
- Listen to some music that either uplifts you or calms you down. One of my personal favorites is Vienna Teng. She’s Taiwanese American like me, and she’s talented, beautiful, and intelligent. Her voice is like a balm for my tattered soul. When I’m feeling frayed, I just listen to her honey tones, and I feel the tension slipping away. Music is a good and quick way to change your mood, and with YouTube being so accessible, it’s as easy as pulling up a tab, slipping in your earbuds, and cranking the music up as loud as you can take it or as low as a murmur. I can listen to Vienna on repeat for hours, and I’ve done that more than once. It’s a pleasant way to spend an evening.
- Eat lots of chocolate. I’m being facetious, but not entirely.Chocolate boosts your mood, albeit temporarily. If you don’t like chocolate, however, I’m not saying eat it regardless. Eat something that makes you feel good, such as a bowl of blueberries or a cup or two of ice cream. One thing I have problems with is eating without doing something else at the same time. It part of my ED issues, and it’s not something I’m going to fix any time soon. If possible, just enjoy whatever it is you’re eating. Take your time. Savor it. And don’t peek at your TL as you’re doing it. It’ll be twice as tasty that way.
- Remember before social media we did things like read books? I know it’s old fashioned, but crack open that book you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t for one reason or another. I love reading, but I find that I’m not doing it as much as I used to. I much prefer reading actual books, but I can’t deny that using the Kindle app on my computer is mighty convenient. I love mysteries, and I can read them compulsively. I also read Asian American fiction, graphic novels, and some nonfiction. I love curling up with a book and rapidly turning the pages, eager to see what happens next. It was my favorite way to escape when I was a lonely, depressed, fat, Asian kid in a very white suburb, and I can still lose several hours to the written word.
- Watch funny or cute cat videos. You might not believe me, but there a gazillion** cat videos on the internet, and most of them are hilarious, cute, funny, and/or sweet. There’s Maru, the Scottish Fold cat who lives in an impeccable house in Japan. He loves boxes as do most cats, but he’s especially adept at folding his chubby body into boxes which are several sizes too small for him. He has a new-ish little sister, Hana, who is also cute, and it’s great to see the two of them romping together. There’s also Shironeko, who also lives in Japan. He’s the chillest cat I’ve ever seen, allowing his human to place things on his head like oranges with nary a ruffled whisker. I love cats, and nothing makes me happier than three minutes of fuzzy cat butt love.
- Play a video game. It used to be that video games were only for geeks, and the kids who played them were ridiculed. I’ve heard from plenty of gamers that they felt they had to hide their hobby when they were younger. Now, video games are mainstream to the point of millions of people are running around in the real world trying to catch Pokeymans with their Pokeyballs. Millions of people click away compulsively at candy clicker, and I can’t be the only one who’s been annoyed by friends requesting that I play Farmville. More to the point, hardcore games are also mainstream. There are esports, which are the video game equivalent of the major leagues. I never thought I’d be the type of person to play video games, and now I’m obsessed with the Souls series. It’s a nice way to become engrossed in a totally different world and forget about your real life problems sometimes.
- Do something physical. I hesitate to bring this up because I hate it when people say, “Exercise is the tonic for depression!” I never found that to be true, and I seethed every time I heard it. However, since I started taiji, I’ve found that doing taiji every day, even if it’s just for twenty minutes, really does settle my ruffled feathers. I do it when I first get up, and it’s almost better than coffee for setting the tone to the day. If taiji’s not your thing, there’s yoga, dancing, walking, running, the gym, sex, and several other physical things you can do to get out of your head for a limited amount of time. Don’t worry. You can always go back.
- Do something creative. This is my personal bias, but nothing jazzes me as much as doing something creative. Personally, it’s writing. It used to be performing as well, and I’d like to go back to it one day. There’s music, painting, sculpting, knitting, woodworking, singing, drawing, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I need to get back to writing fiction myself because as much as I love rambling on about my opinions (obviously), there’s something magical about writing a scene that just crackles with energy. In this time of destruction and hatred, it’s imperative to bring goodness into the world, even if the art itself is dark.
- Spend some time with someone you love. It doesn’t have to be in person because that’s not always possible, but reach out to someone who makes you feel good about yourself. Talk about something other than politics and Trump for one conversation. Or, if you do find yourself talking about the election, acknowledge it and quickly move on. There are so many other things to be discussed, and not all of them are negative. I’m not saying you should ignore the problems of the world or your own travails, but just for an hour or two, put it behind you. Laugh about something. Ogle over someone. Talk about celebrity breakups just because they don’t matter at all in your real life. I know that many of you are probably introverts as I am, but even us extreme hermits need to feel loved every now and again.
I’m not saying to ignore the election entirely. I don’t think that would be possible, even if you wanted to. I’m just saying that for us political junkies, it can feel as if we need to be marinated in it all day long. You really don’t. The world is not going to fall apart if you take a break from the elections when you start feeling overwhelmed. Then, you can be refreshed when you plunge back in again.
I’m telling myself that as much as I’m telling you because I feel myself get sucked in no matter how much I tell myself to stay out of it. Politics, I mean. So, tomorrow, I’m going to write at least several pages of a short story. You can hold me to that.
*Yes, I know I’m being hypocritical to a point.
**That is a scientific number. Google it.