Is this election year making you want to scream? Surviving an election year can be quite a challenge for many of us.
Our world of 24 hour news and social networks means we are bombarded constantly every day for over a year with the often ugly world of politics. And each election cycle seems to get longer, more rancorous, and more polarizing than the last.
Some of us can enjoy political discussions and still maintain a healthy perspective and positive attitude about life. And it is important for everyone to be at least minimally involved in politics to collectively choose our future. However, most of us find ourselves getting caught up in feelings of anger, fear, hopelessness, or other negative emotions.
So how do we cope with it all when it gets to be too much? Here are some psychic tips to help us restore balance and peace with our lives and relationships with others in an election year.
1. Choose Positive Energy
Realize that every thought that you think, every expression on social media you choose, every word that you speak… it is all energy. This energy is very powerful because it directly affects others and also determines the type of energy that will come back to you.
Thoughts lead to words which lead to actions. If you choose communication that is insulting, mocking, condescending, angry, or even violent you will affect others negatively and they will react the same way to you and to others. This energy feeds upon itself and grows exponentially.
Fortunately, the same is true of positive energy so you can actually choose to be hopeful and choose words and actions to inspire or uplift others. Just because others choose the negative route does not mean you have to as well.
2. Disengage
Even for the most hardcore political junkie, today’s nonstop barrage of election coverage and opinions is just too much. It is common now for a presidential election, and all of the negativity that swirls around it, to dominate the news and social media for well over a year. That means we are being immersed in this for more than 25{3299194b8ba2b627201b1ae63a9bb47881badc8b9e7eaa72ff1dd7dcf0c96dfc} our lives!
But you can choose to disengage sometimes. Turn off the 24 hour news channel. Limit your reading of political news to the highlights once a week instead of the daily barrage of minutia. And, yes, you may have to reduce your reading of social media significantly. If you live on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, try using it only once a day when you can prepare yourself properly for what you might encounter. And if all else fails, block posts from that person you otherwise love but whose political opinions are making you hate them until after the election is over.
3. Remember We’re All Human
This one is tough for many of us, but the benefits of realizing this and remembering it are extremely high.
No matter how much you disagree with someone, they are still a fellow human being who is equally deserving of love and respect. Yes, even (gasp!) that politician who you may think is vile. This can be difficult and humbling to realize, and even a little scary, but it is critical to our collective well-being to accept it.
None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes, we all have beliefs that are sometimes misguided, might evolve – or not. But we are all souls on a journey of discovery and learning together in this world. Remember that no matter how much we disagree, we will always have way more in common with a fellow human being than not.
4. Spend Time in the Real World
When you get out into nature, when you have face to face conversations with other human beings, when you smile at a stranger, when you hug your partner, when you walk your dog, or play with your kids you are building human connections to the real world and raising your own vibration. You will feel calmer, happier, more hopeful, and much more connected to your fellow human beings and therefore less likely to be bothered by political messages.
If you choose to live only behind a cell phone or a computer, and mainly interact with others through this filter, it is easy to lose touch with our humanity. It is much easier to call someone an idiot from behind a computer than to look them in the eye and do it. Try to find balance and be sure you spend time quality time in the physical presence of others.
5. Know It Is Not the End of the World
Despite what the candidates and political parties tell us, despite the fear-mongering news stories or most urgent of social media posts, I have news for you: if the candidate you fear the most gets elected the world is not going to end. Trust me here, I’m psychic!!!
It may be hard to see that when we’ve been conditioned for so long to believe the opposite or someone’s belief’s offend you. And, yes, there may be some unpleasant outcomes if the candidate you least want is elected. But the world will still turn, and the sun will still rise the next day and every day for the next 4-8 years. And we’ll still all be stuck on this planet and this journey together.
It is OK to be passionate and to use positive energy try to change the world, but don’t lose all hope if things don’t go the way you want. And if you are spiritual, understand that it may be part of a larger plan that you cannot see.
6. Let Love Overcome Differences.
Raise your hand if your opinion of someone has changed after you saw them post something political on Facebook?
It used to be that before our information age of computers and cell phones politics was seldom discussed at home, rarely among friends, and we could go our whole lives without knowing (or caring!) about the political views of our neighbors and acquaintances. And when we disagreed with someone, we still saw them in the larger context of our lives and relationships because we interacted with them without the filter of a computer screen. And husbands and wives sometimes agreed to disagree and still love each other. Siblings might have a heated discussion for a few minutes, and then sit down to joyous holiday meal. Friends still hung out and had fun together even if they had an unspoken agreement to not bring up political differences.
So what does it mean now that world is gone for most of us and we’re immersed in constant political opinions? It means we have to remember we always hung out with people, loved them, enjoyed their company, worked with them, laughed with them even though they held beliefs that were very different from our own.
Ask yourself how much your political opinions define you as a human being. For most of us, no matter how strongly, they are a relatively small part of our whole selves. So realize this is true of others and try to focus on love and compassion even though they may not agree with you.
7. Cleanse your energy.
When we’re immersed in situation of negative energy, we may need to get rid of it even if we’re not actively contributing to it.
Everyone can benefit from relaxing things like lighting candles and taking a bath, or going for a walk in nature to clear negative thoughts for moods. Those who are spiritually or metaphysically inclined can make time for meditation or prayer, smudging or blessing your home to rid it of negative energy, or working with crystals that absorb or dissipate negative energy. Others may find that physical exercise, as long as it is not accompanied by ruminating on politics or watching the news, will give your more energy.
We all need these things like these now and then, but particularly and more frequently during an election year.
However, one word of caution. Be wary of any spiritual or psychic practitioners who offer to clear negative energy for you – for a price. Few reputable practitioners will make those kinds of offers.
8. Find Truth.
Everyone often seems so resolute in their political opinions and ideas, but much of what we choose to share and spread (or believe!) often comes from deeply flawed or unreliable sources. I understand that many do not trust the media but that does not mean that another source that contradicts it is automatically credible. All sources should be checked, and opposing viewpoints considered before you choose to contribute your energy to spreading any information.
I have seen people boiling over in anger responding to what they perceive as misinformation being spread, only to turn around and spread misinformation themselves from sources they admit they did not check. This perpetuates misunderstanding, division, and anger. It always shocks me that people will forward, like, or post things without knowing if they are true. This is a subtle form of spreading negative energy.
Commit to contributing the extra energy to find truth – it will generate positive energy for you and for others and will also act as a strong counterbalance to negative energy.
9. Accept Nobody Has All the Answers.
We all like to think we are the most informed, most intelligent, or most enlightened beings who have all the answers. If only my spouse/friend/family/coworker/acquaintance would just listen to me! How can they be so stupid not to see that I know better? Maybe I just need to yell louder!!!
But the truth is none of us know everything and our opinions are limited by our own experience, our limited perspective and our environment. To believe otherwise is to fall into a trap set by our ego that feeds the illusion that we are separate from or better than others. This is a very dangerous mindset that contributes as much as anything else to dividing us from Love and from our true nature.
It is very important to remind ourselves we are all equal whenever we begin to feel superior to others.
10. Calm down.
It is all well and good to try to practice some or all of the above techniques, but they all go out the window if you fly off the handle the moment you encounter negative energy.
But that crazy politician just said or did something that makes you seethe! That friend just posted the most misleading or one-sided thing on Twitter and you can’t let it go! Your dad just liked the most heinous news story you could imagine on Facebook!
You are offended. You are angry. You want to lash out and correct or fix everything with righteous fury! But you will only contribute to negative energy if you react with that mindset.
Learn to resist immediate reactions and you soon find that even your own judgmental or negative thought patterns can be changed to include more compassion and love. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, counting to 4 on each in breath and each out breath. Do this a few times or for several minutes as you think on some of the tips in this article. This should give you time to re-center and connect with your Higher Self.
Election years can be a huge challenge for us as individuals, as a society, and even as soul beings on a spiritual journey together. Your contribution to managing it may seem like a drop in the bucket, but it actually makes a world of difference. Imagine how different the world and the political climate would be if we all practiced some of these techniques?
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