Managing Your Mental Health this Election Season Strategy: Practice Mindfulness

If you’re experiencing a range of emotions this election season, you are not alone. In times of uncertainty and conflict, many people struggle to regulate their emotions.

One strategy to support your mental health this season is to practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and focusing one’s awareness on their feelings, thoughts, and sensations, without assigning judgment. Research has shown that practicing mindfulness has positive effects on mental and physical health.

Try these tips to practice mindfulness:

Incorporate breathing.

A few times throughout the day, pause and take four deep, mindful breaths. Breathe in for a count of four. Breathe out for a count of six. As you inhale and exhale, focus on your breath. Notice how your body moves while you are breathing and how you feel during and after each breath.

Feel Your Heartbeat

Awareness of your body is an important part of mindfulness. A great way to begin building body awareness is by paying attention to your heartbeat. Pick three times of the day and set an alarm. At each of those times, set a timer for one minute and pay attention to your heartbeat.

Look Up

Next time you take a break or have a few moments, go outside and look up. Make a mental note of everything you see, from leaves on trees to clouds in the sky. Connecting with nature has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and improve overall mood and wellbeing.

Focus on One Thing

Because of the fast-paced environments we often find ourselves in, we can get caught up in trying to multitask and focus on multiple things at once. A simple way to start practicing mindfulness is to be intentional about focusing on one thing at a time. Choose any one thing to focus on, but it’s important to give yourself permission to focus on one thing at a time. If you find your attention wandering, make a note of it, and without judgment, return to the one thing.

The purpose is not to push away our feelings or act on them immediately. The purpose is to give our thoughts, feelings, and emotions the space they, and we, deserve.