Breakouts. Teeth grinding. Insomnia.
These are just some of the symptoms of anxiety that we at The Story Exchange reported having, during this week’s editorial meeting. Folks, we are stressed – and we’re not alone. Election Day 2024 looms large, and it truly feels as though the fate of our nation hangs in the balance. (Because it does.)
After lamenting our assorted maladies and collective sleep deprivation born of political stress, we also discussed how we decompress and re-center ourselves. Below, we’ve detailed five informal “rules” that have assisted us in maintaining sanity as chaos spins around us.
No news after 9 p.m. – ever. (Credit: Steve Johnson, Pexels)
No news after 9 p.m. – ever.
Personally, I find it rather difficult to set my phone aside. I know, it’s a problem – especially when I choose to end my days by staring directly into a rectangle of bright light that delivers a steady stream of bad news directly into my eyeballs. One colleague has broken free of its trance, though, and has experienced far more peaceful evenings and better nights of rest as a result.
Absolutely enjoy some garbage. (Credit: cottonbro studio, Pexels)
Absolutely enjoy some garbage.
Turn on your television and turn off your brain. Suggestions for what to watch include sexually charged thriller “You” on Netflix, a re-broadcast of a “Fast and Furious” movie – scientifically speaking, one is airing at basically any given moment – and British spy thriller “Slow Horses” on Apple TV+, which features a character one of us described as looking like “a classic pervert.”
Create – it’s a balm. (Credit: Pixabay, Pexels)
Create – it’s a balm.
Folks on The Story Exchange team have undertaken crocheting, baking, gardening and painting to occupy their racing minds, and have found calm in the moments when their hands and minds are occupied by the tasks at hand. Gardening, one staffer noted, serves as both “a soothing exercise, and also a hopeful metaphor about how things may wither and die, but they can also burst back to life.” Slower activities like painting, meanwhile, can teach us patience and faith in the process, another employee said.
Love and tend to your body. (Credit: Daniel Reche, Pexels)
Love and tend to your body.
There is solace and grounding to be found in movement. Running, long walks (on the beach, yes, but parks and city streets work nicely, too) and massages have all helped to distract and energize us. After paying some real attention to our bodies, we find that “both our minds and bodies feel relieved,” as one of us described it.
Be with people – and pets – you love. (Credit: Kaboompics.com, Pexels)
Be with people – and pets – you love.
Sync up with old pals with whom you can reminisce, joke freely – and collectively avoid political discourse for an hour or two. Or, pick up your favorite furry friend for a simple snuggle. We at The Story Exchange have numerous cats in our crew, but any fuzzy, cuddly companion will do!
