Process, Pause, and Pivot: 3 Ways to Not Freak Out (Especially You, Christians!) during the Election
Did you know that the United States is about to have a major election during a serious pandemic?
(cue maniacal laughter and silent screaming here)
Yeah, I know you do. The freak out is palpable right now.
The freak out is a form of energy. This energy is fluctuating — up, down, hopeful, accusatory, vindictive, searching. It does not belong to only one political system. It is the system because this energy reflects people. And people, well, they can freak out.
My interest is in helping people — all people –manage the energy. In my world of metaphysics and Christianity, this energy is our vibration. It is the sum total of ourselves — physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.
One huge problem is that if you are empathic, you do not only feel your energy; you feel everyone’s energy. Having a collective, national (and global) freak out land on you is challenging. The United States is on edge and the world is watching. We feel more divided than ever.
It is pretty obvious that Christians do not agree on the best way forward for the country. We occupy seats in both major parties. Many people of faith are using their religion to justify bad behavior on both sides of the political aisle. Jumpy tendencies can inflate into full-fledged verbal, sometimes even physical, attacks.
Don’t get me wrong. The stakes are high. And I do have my opinions, and you bet that I cast my ballot a few weeks ago. This article, though, is not about who you should vote for or why. It is about how to manage your energy no matter what in the next few days.
When we can do that, we help lessen the unhelpful parts of the freak out and raise the vibration collectively.
Have I ever participated in low energy, attacking others and not bringing my best self to the table? Ummm…..yes. Especially when I am tired, and even more when I am in grief. I get triggered. But I do not want these triggers to rule me. I desire something better for us as a nation. Christians, it is time that we lead the way in changing the way we do things.
Perhaps you, too, have on occasion found yourself triggered and joined in the freak out. What if we could do it differently? What if we could access our inner wisdom and ride the course no matter what happens?
The points I outline below apply equally to people of all political opinions.
Below are 3 concrete ways to access your best self and change the freak out together. These all involve you owning your own feelings and communicating them in a high vibe way. It involves you not telling anyone else how to feel. It means that you show your own process through your actions and carefully chosen words — not your freak out. It means that you share your best self with others.
Before I get to the 3 points, allow me to share a small anecdote with you. Today I went to my pre-election day yoga class (with social distancing!).
Midway through the 75-minute session, my acid reflux flared up. Whenever I lowered my head below my heart, I was on the verge of vomiting. Inversions were impossible. Although I wasn’t feeling anxious, I am sensitive to the collective emotions and vibrations of the world. It showed up in my body.
You are most likely also feeling not only your own anxiety but also that of the rest of the world, too.
You are most likely also feeling not only your own anxiety but also that of the rest of the world, too. This is especially true if you are part of, or concerned about, caregiving or advocating on either side of the political aisle. A lot rides on your shoulders.
Frustrated in my yoga class, I stood there for a few minutes letting the acid settle. Tuning into my inner wisdom, I knew that moving slowly and making adjustments was key. I returned to the moving part of the practice and made the alterations I needed to. My head never went lower than my heart. I gave myself the grace to simply be and to respond to what I needed in the moment.
What occurred for me in this yoga class can also inform you in the next few days. When you feel your anxiety rising and feel to be right, perhaps you can consider doing these three things first.
So, here we go! The 3 things that my yoga class taught me to not participate in the freak out.
1. Process. In yoga, I stopped to process that I was frustrated and a little angry that I could not participate fully in the class. Ignoring, avoiding, minimizing, or denying a feeling does not make it go away. In fact, it will most likely intensify it and make it last longer. If you are worried, acknowledge and name your worry. If you are angry, say it out loud. Feel the feeling. This is your processing that is vital for your well-being.
One huge ah-ha in my own life journey was the knowledge that we usually only feel the intensity of a feeling for 90 seconds. After that, it will clear long enough for us to emerge into our own wisdom. Stay with it. It will pass.
2. Pause. In the yoga class, I paused. My urge was to not pause, but to do something like go to the bathroom or leave the class or power through. The stillness and silence that I gave myself was breathtakingly important. The same is true for the political process and our reactions. The gift of a pause cannot be overestimated. The pause gives you access to your inner wisdom.
3. Pivot. From this place inner wisdom, I pivoted and made the yoga class work for me. The pause let me pivot into a new plan. Pivoting gives you options of how you will engage in the world. It gives you a choice. When we do not pause to pivot, our choices are limited. We react rather than respond. Pivot so that you can respond to the world around you in a new way.
Now that you have the Process, Pause, and Pivot down, two more points may be helpful to continue to help you during these weird election days with grace.
4. Make your decision now about how you’ll respond to people. Some will celebrate and some mourn after the election. Respond to others with compassion. If compassion is not offered back to you, then just leave. You do not have to engage. You do not have to prove any points to anyone. If someone can’t hear you, don’t shout louder. If you can’t respond in a way that somewhat resembles Jesus, just get out of the conversation (believe me, I’ve done it plenty of times).
Rules of thumb if your candidate wins:
Do not gloat. Ever. It is a low vibration way to honor your values being upheld in the world. Don’t condescend or say something like “Now you’ll see that we were right all along!”. One day your candidate will not win — be gracious. It costs you nothing.
Your candidate is not Jesus. Period. This person will make mistakes. Don’t make this person into an idol.
Realize that other people are mourning. When people are mourning, they long to be heard. Muster the grace to hear them. Do not tell them how they should feel. Do not tell them that you are right. Would you tell someone in mourning whose loved one had just died that they caused their death? Of course not. Don’t do it post-election.
Rules of thumb if your candidate loses:
This is a period of mourning for you. Grief brings about anger and numbness. Respect your grief process and do not minimize it. Process. Pause. Pivot.
Engage social media with care. Talk with people who are like minded with you before you talk to people who are not. It will save your bacon. If you do engage in online arguments (and you do not have to), remember to pause before you respond. If you respond from a place of deep grief and anger, it will come through. If you respond from a place of your own values, that will come through.
What will be more effective, in your opinion? “You stupid ass, how could you think that? Don’t you know my experience? DON’T YOU???” or “Huh, I see it really differently. Would you like to hear about my experience?” Process. Pause. Pivot. Then respond.
And, get out of your echo chamber when you feel safe and you can trust your reactions. We are in this mess because we do not know how to listen to one another.
5. Move your body. It’s no accident that these insights occurred to me as a result of my acid reflux yoga day! Emotions and energy get locked up in our bodies. The most efficient way to clear them is to move. This does not mean that you have to run a marathon. Just enjoy what you can do. Take a walk. Dance around your room. Kick-box. Gently stretch. Get your mind out of worst-case scenarios, and into your body. It will work wonders.
OK, Christians, are you up for the challenge? Let’s get this right! I know that our values differ and that we don’t see eye to eye on everything. What we need to do right now is create a better atmosphere for engaging and conversing.
This is your survival guide for the election process to manage your energy, and maybe even raise it. When you do, the world’s energy and vibration is raised.
I’d love to hear from you what resonates with you. Share more in the comments below.
Rev. Dr. Katy E. Valentine loves assisting Christians in connecting to metaphysical practices (like raising their vibration) as part of their faith journey. Join her Facebook group, The Metaphysical Christian, to get more tips on combining metaphysics with your spiritual life.
