Managing stress levels during a contentious election

 Anxiety and worry seem to be a common denominator among so many of us these days. Election day is tomorrow, but it is only election day, and likely not the day we will know an outcome. I never imagined until this year that I would fear violence from fellow Americans. Today and yesterday there were trucks flying large political flags drove fast down our dirt roads and I was surprised how quickly my stomach knotted up with concern for what those drivers will do if they are not happy with the election results.  

I know I must look toward truth and healthy practices in these days.

I try to notice beauty. This morning when I walked the dog, a tapping sound caught my attention. We have some red bellied woodpeckers that visit my feeder and I expected to see one, but it was another woodpecker, the hairy woodpecker, who was at the top of a dead branch on one of our trees. It was stunning with it's contrast of black and white bars on wings and body.

After I returned home from helping grandchildren with school, I took the dog for another walk. The sun was already low, since daylight savings time is over. The yellow light caught the fuzzy seed heads of the grasses in the ditch. The sunflower plants have lost all their color, but the spent flowers left behind round clusters of seeds that rattle as the wind blows through them. Geese have begun flying overhead, but I can hear them even before I see them. It isn't a rare sound, but it is familiar, comforting, assuring that some good things continue regardless of politics and disease.

We bought a fire pit, which arrived late last week. My goal tonight was to get it put together so I would have something to focus on besides the election. Chuck joined me in the effort, and as the last light faded in the west, we had a fire of fallen twigs and small branches from the last windy day.

Having a plan for meals lowers my stress levels, so over the weekend I started pizza dough and set it to rest in the fridge. Tonight we had spinach and pepperoni pizza baked in a cast iron skillet from the King Arthur Baking Company recipe of the year.

But good food and beauty has not been enough to allow me to sleep, so I limit news to mornings. I've also begun a morning practice of getting up an hour early in order to do yoga and practice centering prayer. The care of body and soul has been the turning point toward better sleep. Not perfect sleep, but I can skip the melatonin most nights in the last two weeks. 

I expect to struggle this week, and I think I'm OK with that. It seems to be an acknowledgment of reality. We will see what happens, and then we will get up in the mornings and continue to learn, write letters, and work for this world to become better, more just, more compassionate. No matter who wins, those things will be necessary and important.