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Anonymous A (OP) double-posted this 9 years ago, 1 minute later, 21 minutes after the original post[^][v]#739,689
also my school sent out an e-mail promoting their counseling services after Trump was elected along with a guide for managing election stress. lemme find it lol
Anonymous E joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 3 minutes later, 24 minutes after the original post[^][v]#739,693
Turn Election Stress Into Courage and Kindness
1. Do something
Think about what matters most to you post-election. Then, decide how you can participate to further that cause. As you take committed action, look around. Notice that you are not alone. This is bigger than you. And also, it needs you. This is how you practice moral courage.
2. Look for the good
Are there destructive forces as well as virtue in all of us? Yes, of course. That’s the complexity of human nature. But this election has obscured the latter while highlighting the former. For your mental health, you need to restore some balance. One antidote to moral distress is moral elevation: witnessing the good in others.
How do you find the good? One resource I’ve turned to is NPR’s Storycorps. Since the summer, they’ve been sharing a weekly series of audio and video stories called WhoWeAre. As Storycorps describes it, WhoWeAre is “a series of real-life stories told by everyday Americans that speak to our best selves. Stories that amplify love over hate and empathy over fear. Stories that build bridges of understanding between people and help us recognize our shared humanity.”
Research shows that stories like this don’t just make us feel better—they also help us feel awe, gratitude, and self-transcendence. One 2015 study found that watching a video that inspired moral elevation increased feelings of common humanity and connection to others, including members of so-called “out groups.” Another study found that for people suffering from depression, moral elevation increased their hope and reduced their sadness, anxiety, and loneliness.
How else can you give yourself the good medicine of moral elevation? In everyday life, look for, notice, and appreciate acts of virtue. Make it a goal to witness compassion, character, and courage. When you do, savor the feeling of being uplifted. Be present for the experience. Let it soak into your cells and remind your DNA that there is good in the world. Tell the story to someone else, so that it might inspire them.
3. Be the good
Look for ways to make an immediate difference in your community. Be the source point of what you want to see in the world. Do it for yourself and the satisfaction you feel when you help others thrive. But also do it for others who are in desperate need of moral elevation themselves. Your impact may be far greater than you imagine.
There are many opportunities in everyday life to change someone else’s experience with relatively little investment. Doing so can hold meaning for that person far beyond what we would imagine when we made the gesture.
In every election some people are disappointed and others are pleased by the outcome. If you’ve been distressed by this election, remember that you aren’t alone. There are countless others who also feel that despair. When you remember this, decide to be the antidote to someone else’s moral distress. In ways you may never know, your small acts of kindness could reverberate in the lives of others long past this election cycle.
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Anonymous C replied with this 9 years ago, 2 minutes later, 27 minutes after the original post[^][v]#739,695
@739,689 (A)
Did you try sending a message to ducky to commiserate?