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I’ve noticed something about myself this election season. My mood seems to change depending on the latest poll, the latest comment from a candidate, and the latest comment from a political analyst I trust. If the news is good, I relax a little. If not, I toughen up. It’s the ‘roller coaster’, as one podcast calls it. It’s the biggest, baddest, and scariest attraction in the park. And the longest: at the time of writing this article, 49 more days to get through it!
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that on the morning of November 6, when we step off the attraction, the ground we will step on will be the same. As both candidates continually remind us, a lot can change if the other side wins. Is riding the roller coaster (gritting your teeth and whitening your knuckles when the news is bad, raising your arms and shouting when it’s good) an optimal way to prepare for the threat? Do we even have a choice?
The answers are no and yes. Allowing external events that are out of our control to control us is obviously not optimal. And we have a choice. We can choose to treat polls and other election-related events as opportunities to practice habits that will bring us into a state of mind that is not so fragile or so dependent on things going our way.
4 steps to unconditional peace of mind
Step 1. Recognize the problematic belief that keeps you anxious.
To feel safe we must neutralize all threats, right? Mistaken. There are too many threats, including elections, that are beyond our direct control: mentally accepting that the outcome of the election is just one of the countless uncontrollable unknowns of our future, such as your health and that of your loved ones, the twists and turns of the market or the climate itself. By conditioning your peace of mind on winning an election, you underestimate your resilience.
Step 2. Reduce threat tracking.
Do you need to stay up to date with all the electoral news? Instead of compulsively checking the news throughout the day, try limiting yourself to scheduled update sessions. Turn off breaking news notifications. If the election is the main topic of conversation with friends and family, try introducing another topic.
Step 3. Increase attention to the present moment.
As mentioned above, the elections are still weeks away. Worrying about any future events takes us out of the present, so we miss the things unfolding now that will calm and restore us. Go for a walk without your phone, preferably in nature. Write down three things you are grateful for in your life right now. Try cooking with a new recipe. Take some time to sit with yourself and bring your attention to your breathing. Present moment awareness helps calm the threat-sensitive part of our brain.
Step 4. Take reasonable measures
Practicing the steps above will better prepare us to take wise actions that will be satisfying to us, even if they don’t move the needle on their own. For some, it means donating money; For others, it means donating time. For some, just casting your vote will be enough. Remember that no one can (or should) do everything. Just do your part.
Feet on the ground
While the forces commanding our attention are relentless and the stakes are high, recoiling from every bad news and clinging to every good news will not prepare us for the outcome. Riding the roller coaster is a choice. We can go down at any time. We can better cope with what lies ahead if we are firmly rooted in the beliefs and practices that keep us strong. And when you get the results, no matter what they are, you will have unconditional peace of mind.
