I’m not going to fill this space by telling you how I feel about the results of Tuesday’s presidential election. If you know me, you already know what I’m thinking and feeling and as much as I try to incorporate some of the personal into my blog and certainly into my social media presence – ultimately I want what I put out here to be helpful and not just self-serving and venting (this is a space for my business after all!).  Along those lines, feelings are very raw for many of us right now and tensions in our country are high so one way I can be of help is to make this week’s blog post something constructive and supportive.

This is a just a reminder to let yourself feel the feelings you are having this week. About the election. About the candidates. About the state of our country and the people in it.

If you are feeling sad. Feel sad. Be sad.

If you are angry, disappointed, disillusioned, disgusted, dismayed and demoralized (all those d words work perfectly here!), then let yourself feel them.

Really feel them.

This doesn’t mean you should wallow or indulge in your misery or disappointment for days or weeks on end but it’s necessary to let these feelings run their course. We as people try to avoid feeling uncomfortable under almost any circumstances and when these shitty feelings arise, we want them to go away as fast as possible. We take pills to go to sleep so we don’t have to think about it. We drink so we don’t have to feel it. We eat so we can numb ourselves out.

Don’t try to numb yourself out right now. Don’t avoid, resist, repress or push away what you are feeling. Don’t try to change it. Don’t try to take action on those feelings.

If you are feeling bad, that’s ok.

Let it be there.

It will end.

I promise.

You will feel good again.

These uncomfortable feelings will not last forever.

All feelings pass, even the ones that feel unbearable.

Your job right now is to process this and get really good at feeling your own discomfort. This is part of being a human -feelings are a huge part of being human. And we can’t have the positive feelings in life, without the balance of the negative ones. The best feelings in the world feel as good as they do because we have the awful feelings to compare them to. We can’t and won’t get through life avoiding ever feeling uncomfortable.

None of your feelings are wrong and you are not wrong for having them.

Don’t take any action right now (feeling feelings is not an action – it’s a way of being, of allowing). We can take action later (starting with how we treat each other).

All you need to do right now is feel.

Express yourself if you need to (talk to a friend or write!). Cry if you need to. Hug your loved ones. Eat nourishing and comforting food. Get some fresh air and some blood pumping exercise. Be present. Feel what you are feeling.

Acknowledge it.

Accept it.

And when the feeling is dissipating (it may take a few days), think about how you want to feel going forward. What do you want to see in the world?  How do you want others to view the US? How do you want to view the US? What do you wish was more common in our political system? And what you do wish there was less of? What qualities do you wish our fellow citizens possessed more of?

Then go out and be those things.

Live your life as an example of what you want in this world.

Treat people how you want to be treated.

Spread love. Kindness. Tolerance. Authenticity. Empathy. Grace. Charm. Beauty. Knowledge. Understanding. Honesty. Dignity.

That’s your homework for this week – feel your feelings and embody the things you want to see more of in this world.

HUGS!!

Andrea

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Need more like this? Check out this earlier post on feeling your feelings.

Then download your free copy of Healthy Eating Shouldn‘t Be a Workout:  Real Life Strategies to Take the Confusion Out of Healthy Living (includes recipes, snack and meal ideas, ways to save money and more!).