Best Feeling of the Week

I usually like to recap the best feeling of the previous week, but it’s Monday morning before the election and I feel called to approach this week differently.

Something that has come up a lot is a similar conversation I’ve had with dozens of women. The feeling is this: I can’t handle feeling the same way I did the day after the last election again. I will use my own experience as an example.

I was extremely hopeful heading into the last election until around October. I went home to Ohio, outside my SoCal bubble, and realized the election looked very different outside of California. When I voted, I was brimming with excitement, though. And then when the results came, I was crushed. I even had a job interview the day after the election and cried during it. (Needless to say, I did not get that job.) Then, I walked into the office I worked in at the time and entered into total silence. A usually buzzing entertainment news office had gone quiet. All women were at their desks, heads down, working silently. Many, many women I know, am friends with, have worked with, etc. felt the same way I did.

I don’t want to harp on this negative feeling, though it’s important to recognize. My feeling this time four years ago was not unique. And I know a lot of people are feeling anxious and nervous about this week. You are not alone. You are human for having feelings.

I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or this week, but I want to share a few things I’m personally doing to help minimize my anxiety and stress. I believe this is helpful no matter how you’re voting.

1. VOTE. I voted a few weeks ago and I felt something lift off me once I voted. I felt that I had contributed and it gave me a sliver of peace of mind.

2. Stay off Twitter. For me, this is big. I love Twitter. I rely on it for mostly celebrity news and things that will make me laugh, but none of that is going to exist this week. At least not on a scale to offset the rest of Twitter.

3. Focus on what’s right in front of me. I’m focusing on my family, my husband, myself, my friends, my home, my business, my health. That’s my personal reality and focusing on those things helps me feel less overwhelmed.

4. Lean into art and entertainment. Today and tomorrow morning, I’ll be doing my now-favorite morning ritual of an hour-long walk while listening to a fiction novel. (This week, it’s One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, one of my favorite authors.) I also plan on having Housewives on all afternoon tomorrow, to be quite honest.

5. Stay physically active. Moving my body outside has helped my anxiety immensely. I’ve also relied on gentler movement like Pilates to help stretch and move my body in a way that doesn’t spike cortisol levels.

These are just a few things I’ve personally found helpful, and I hope if you’re feeling like you need help, these offer you a bit of respite as well.

I’m sending you all love! Have a wonderful week, bffs!

xx
Kailey