We know our world is in a state of unrest at the moment. If you are in the United States, things have never felt less certain than they do at this exact moment. Unfortunately, with as much chaos as we’ve seen so far over the past year, there is undeniable room for things to get worse.
Many of us are sitting in fear and panic mode right now, but those of us with mental health issues, such as anxiety/panic disorder or depression, have an even greater struggle in moments of waiting and uncertainty.
How do you handle the excruciating time period as you wait for big news? Anxiety and stress are common factors during this waiting game. However, you can take steps to reduce your nervousness.
Reduce your anxiety while you’re waiting with these strategies:
- Set Boundaries. Limit your news coverage to certain times for limited amounts. Just give yourself enough time to stay up to date without getting sucked into an all-nighter of projections and predictions. Consider unplugging from social media. While it can help you feel more connected to other socially during this period of waiting, the exposure to the political cheerleading that may be taking place can be a potential anxiety trigger. Limit conversations with friends and family about the results. Whether you agree or disagree on the desired outcome, the results take time to come in, and everyone at this point has made up their minds. It’s not beneficial to your mental health to have heated discussions or arguments.
- Prepare ahead. What reasonable action steps can you take to prepare for the outcome? It’s important to plan for either a positive or negative outcome. We tend to try to always prepare for the worst-case scenario in order to feel more prepared, however imagining the worst can often exacerbate our mental state of panic. Begin to imagine the worst-case scenario in terms of “what will I do next?” versus “this will be the end of the world.” Preparation keeps you busy and helps you reduce anxiety. It prevents your mind from focusing on just one negative factor. It also makes you feel ready to handle the news.
- Stay present. Mindfulness is an essential part of reducing anxiety and stress during the waiting period. It’s important to stay present in the moment and focus on your life right now. It helps to reduce worry and negative thoughts. Mindfulness can help you by stopping thoughts of uncertainty. You can’t predict the outcome of the big news, so you shouldn’t create negative scenarios that hurt you in the present. In order to stay present, try yoga, meditation, or breathing techniques to stay mindful. It also helps to look around at your present life and practice gratitude for the things you’re grateful for. Journal about the positives in your life.
- Learn to handle uncertainty. One of the main reasons that waiting leads to anxiety is the fear of uncertainty. Uncertainty can make you feel uncomfortable and powerless. It’s important to recognize that uncertainty is a normal part of existence. You can’t always control your environment, future, or other people. Acknowledging the feeling is helpful, especially if you can remind yourself the discomfort is temporary because you’ll eventually get the results of your news. This should help you manage the stress. You can learn to accept that uncertainty exists and allow it to work its course. It has happened to you before, and it will happen to you again.
- Distract yourself. Distractions can help you during long waiting periods. They can offer stress relief and a way to move your attention to a different topic. What type of healthy distractions help you during waiting periods? Consider exercise or reading a book. Focus on hobbies such as drawing, cooking, or sewing. You can also distract yourself with technology. However, research shows that reaching out to people and focusing on a social or physical activity can be more effective. Play a game night with friends or family, watch a movie, or even organize the junk drawer you’ve been ignoring for months. You can find budget-friendly or free family events. Distractions help you pass the time. It’s important to pick positive ones instead of eating junk food or binge-watching Netflix for hours on end.
- Stay positive. Waiting can lead to negative thoughts and feelings. Focus on the positive aspects while preparing for any outcome. You can still stay strong and happy while you wait for the news. It’s not easy to wait for news that impacts so many of us and our future, but you can proactively work to control the anxiety levels. If you stay focused, then you can manage the stress. Try different techniques such as positive distractions to help you.
In the end, there will be millions of people who do not receive the outcome they hoped for. One of those people may be you. Remember that no matter the results of an election, the country we live in is not made up of one leader and their administration. It is made up of the collective of all of us, beginning with our households, our neighborhoods, our communities, our towns, our cities, our counties, our states, our regions, and one incredibly resilient nation. My hope is that we will be kind to each other in our nation as we would those in our households. Be humble, be compassionate, and be loving.
If you are ever in crisis, please reach out to someone you love for help, or text HOME to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor 24/7 for free, provided by the Crisis Text Line (crisistextline.org), an organization for which I proudly volunteer my time.
be well,
Laurie
