You’ve heard the news. The ramblings on social media are nonstop. So is the chatter over dinner and at work. Whoever you voted or rooted for, the latest one would have to be one of the most hard-fought and talked-about elections we’ve had in the recent past.

According to an article from Fox 31 Denver, a study conducted by the American Psychological Association found the 2016 election was “a very or somewhat significant source of stress” for 52 percent of American adults.

So what do you do if you’re sitting at home still staring at the TV screen with a gloomy face? It may feel surreal, but it’s the reality.

Image courtesy: kcur.org

Clashes with relatives. For some people, it’s gotten to the point where they’ve unfriended and unfollowed anyone who doesn’t agree with them. With Thanksgiving around the corner and the inevitable family reunion, members with dissenting opinions at the dinner table would be interesting to watch. One thing you can do about this is to make “no political discussion rule,” at least for this year.

Media ban. If you find strong feelings are stirred from watching the news and checking your notifications, then the best thing would be to limit the political news coverage you watch, and check your social feeds sparingly. This isn’t to say that you go off and live in a cave, but read enough just so you’ll know what’s happening around you. Scroll through without bothering to read the insults and arguments in your feeds, and ignore any provocative comments.

Spend quality time. Counter the negativity in the air by doing things that make you happy. Go for a run to clear your head, take the dog out to the park, play with the kids, or plan a barbecue with friends (again, with the no-political talk rule). These may not solve the actual problem that upset you, but they will at least keep your mind off of it for the moment, while you figure out what your next move should be to adapt to the situation.

Keep things in perspective. One of the biggest (and yet unnecessary) stressors we face in life is anxiety over the future. While there may be a lot of discussion of what could happen, we can’t really predict how things will actually turn out. Keep an open mind and a positive attitude. You might just be surprised.

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