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Super Tuesday is just one more day in the long-running American election cycle, but it’s a big one, and people are invested. Today could make or break your candidate of choice, so how do you cope if your candidate doesn’t succeed (or your least-favorite candidate does)?
For that, let’s look back a few years to the last U.S. presidential election when Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo offered readers five tips for dealing with electoral disappointment and election-related stress.
Address your stress. Stress (even independent of the election) can cause all kinds of problems including a bad mood and tunnel vision. By tunnel vision, I mean seeing things from only one perspective — with a bleak outlook. To help yourself feel better (and to be able to apply the tips provided here), take the steps you need to reduce your stress in a healthy way. Go for a walk, take some deep breaths, go out to dinner with a friend and stay away from any political discussions. Anything to reduce your stress will help you better deal with your disappointment.
Whether you’re watching from outside the country or participating at home, we’re in for a long haul. Primaries continue until June, and the election won’t happen until November. That’s lots of time for the political landscape to shift, so pace yourself if you can.
The most important tip Dr. Lobardo offers is this: try not to take other people’s politics personally. If you’re disappointed with tonight’s results and the people you care about are celebrating, that can hurt. But once the election pressure is off, you may still want those people in your life. There are sure to be tough times ahead no matter who takes charge of the country, and it is, after all, dangerous to go alone.