The day following the 2016 election was pretty stressful for people in the Bay Area.  Most of my patients came in the day after crying and extremely upset.  The next few months following, my patients began not showing up for appointments, not working and becoming ill. Emotional stress takes a toll on not only you but others around you.  Every day there are tweets from Trump, constant new articles, Facebook postings, alarming executive orders, Russian allegations and racial tensions regarding number 45.  We are bombarded with it 24 hours a day. People are worried.  Will I have healthcare?  Will we go to war?  Will I have civil rights?  Am I safe if I am black or Muslim?   This is a lot to deal with.  It is more than just a simple policy change, these are life and death issues. According to Nervous Nation, they found that more than 1/2 of Americans (around 59%) are anxious after the election and 50% are still trying to find ways to cope with the negative environment that has started after this election.  This is not the Bay Area, this is the entire U.S. More than 1/4 of the U.S. is engaging in some sort of negative behavior like drinking, smoking, over eating or arguing with loved ones more frequently because of high amounts of stress. We have got to find a way to handle this barrage of bad press and energy we are encountering each day. Here are some tips to help you sort out the emotions that may be effecting you in negative ways:

1. Do something to gain back some power:

Write letters to the government to be heard, protest and demonstrate, call your congress representative, join an organization that supports your state of mind.  This can get you to be with people that may offer some different insight and help you cope a bit better with the day to day bombardments we have been getting in the press, online and from the community. 2. Contact friends, family, co-workers and have some real face time.  Not texting or tweeting, real interaction. 3. Meditate:  Getting into a daily ritual of meditation can help you appreciate aspects of your life that may be looked over with all that is going on each day.  Get connected to who you are and what you want out of life and find a goal to pursue to keep you happy and fulfilled. 4. Get some exercise: Working out at least 20-30 minutes each day have shown to decrease anxiety. 5. Journal: Keep a notepad by the bed, couch or desk to write down thoughts and get them out of your system.  It helps you to get rid of the anxiety of such thoughts and move you along with your day.  It also lets you know where you are in your state of mind so that you can evaluate how you are feeling.  Some times we don't know how life is effecting us until it is pointed out in some way. 6. Plan for the worst and hope for the best:  If you write down or keep track of what the worst scenerio will be and prepare your mind for it, it can help you deal with anything.  Being prepared helps gives you peace of mind that there is nothing you can't handle.  Now anything can happen and you got this! 7.  Hope, hope and more hope:  Did you know your thoughts most often become your reality?  They do!  Keep positive and don't let the negativity become your reality. Hope this helps....