How To Make A Headline Sound Positive Post-Election
You can’t; and that matters in the midst of another national mental health crisis
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It is a running joke in my personal relationships that I am a walking contradiction. Working in the mental health field, it’s my job to help folks build self-care plans and practice my own. Last night, I failed miserably — and yes, I had a face mask on. I guess I missed the part of the label that reads: “This product does not chase away Election anxiety, you’ll just smell like lavender and be out $20.” Kinda want my money back though.
So there I am, purple clay on my face, a lap full of hot Chinese food, talking with someone on my Facebook feed who is asking for proof that anyone’s life has been affected in the last four years by this administration.
Last night, I learned what proof is, and what it is not.
It is, according to this person, strictly policy. We can only prove that the last four years have been horrible in the fine print. So let’s do that before we talk about the value of lived experience:
For Immigrants and their children being held in dirty, unsanitary detention centers
For people who need health insurance and rely on life-saving reproductive rights and services that support independent choice over one’s body
For LGBTQ people who are losing access to healthcare that supports transition costs and mental health support, as well as a burgeoning war against precedents made in 2015 for marriage equality as well as the very basic right to use a bathroom.
For farmers who cannot afford to live after devasting trade agreements made by The Trump Administration as well as their unresponsiveness to climate change; resulting in farmers dying by suicide.
For the Black Americans being killed by police, wherein the Trump administration signed an executive order in August 2017 allowing police departments to obtain and use surplus military equipment like grenade launchers, tactical vehicles, and bayonets either for free or with the use of federal dollars, continuing to encourage police to use deadly force in his rhetoric. The administration has pardoned troops being investigating for convicting war crimes that include shooting at medics during war, and we are seeing that behavior repeated here by beat cops against protestors.
Which Came First: The Policy or the Person?
Policies are inextricably linked to internalized beliefs that culminate in action. Policies are written by people, and in theory, for people. The latter hasn’t exactly been the case in the last four years, but that doesn’t change the fact that policies represent beliefs about problems and solutions; there are stakeholders and there are real people with something to lose because of a policy or the lack of one.
To demand a policy before we listen to the mother who has lost her son to police brutality or the LGBTQ person who attempted suicide because this administration blocked their path to a safe and healthy existence here in America is to invalidate every single person who is in pain. The policy is not the final determinant of truth; if we relied on quantitative data to tell the story of American politics, we wouldn’t have journalists; presidential candidates would not have campaign trail stops designed to engage personally with their constituents.
I am seeing folks ask for proof in policy; it’s there. It is backed by the lived experience of the people affected. I am guessing that if a person is still rubbing their chin and playing devil’s advocate at the end, then the issue has nothing to do with empirical evidence at all.
It has to do with a choice not to leverage privilege in the fight we all have our feet in, whether we choose to walk towards it or away depends entirely on how much of a head start we have.
Studies have shown since the results of the 2016 election that these races can influence young adults’ psychological and physical functioning. That was our first rodeo. As of the writing of this piece, we are still on the bull. We are still watching Black people — men, women, and LGBTQ members of the Black community — being murdered by the appendages of our government, and saying, “There’s not enough evidence that this is a pattern or a problem.” And I honestly am baffled. I am shocked. I am horrified. I am scared. I am tired.
I am not alone in that. I’m not.
How Do We Deal With This?
Much of what I write about is centered around macro-level advocacy; Most of the time, I think the answer lies within policy and systematic dismantling of a system that isn’t broken, but rather, designed intentionally to be oppressive.
Here, we are talking about how we take care of ourselves, and I regret to inform you that I only know what works for me. Usually. I can share those with you. I can encourage you to stay present. I cannot make promises, and I will not say that no matter what, we will be okay; because as we’ve learned, not all of us will be.
But as a former manager once told me: Control the controllables. That control varies based on access, and I normally refrain from giving this advice as a normative practice when there isn’t an election like this, but sometimes the basics become forgotten.
Physical Health First:
Eat. If you can eat “healthy,” wonderful. If you don’t have access to healthy food, you still deserve to eat. Here is a list of national food pantries.
Remind yourself of what you’ve done, what you can’t influence at this moment, and sleep.
Shower.
Deep breaths.
If accessible: Take a walk, stretch, roll your shoulders backward and forward.
Emotional Health Next:
Ask yourself whether you want to avoid election topics or if you need to engage with it to manage your anxiety (it varies for everyone; sometimes not being aware of what’s going on exacerbates anxiety.)
Ask your friends if you can check in with him. If someone can hold space for you, lean into it.
This is a short list today because I feel much else would be preachy and unhelpful. The truth is if you are feeling seriously affected like I and millions of others are, the best we can do is keep the ship from sinking. We need to give ourselves permission to feel. Don’t feel hopeful? That’s okay, you don’t have to be; maybe someone else can hold hope for you.
But to anyone who feels nothing: Not having anything to lose doesn’t make you a bad person, but choosing not to leverage (with incredible ease) some privilege because of a weird commitment to individual idealism and self-interest is unacceptable right now.
(Supporting sources also found here)
