Share

Election Self-Care

As we approach election day

emotions may be running high regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum.  Taking care of our wellbeing allows us to remain engaged and calm in the face of this election and beyond.

Try this:

1. Consider what would be helpful - it might be stepping away from your news feed, surrounding yourself with people you feel safe with, or engaging in something you truly enjoy to bring balance to any uncertainty you might be experiencing.

2. Feel what you feel - it's ok to be angry, to cry, to get worked up from a politically charged experience. Give yourself time to nurture this part of yourself - take a deep breath, go for a walk, journal - then consider how (and if) you would like to respond.

3. 2020 Election Sanity Guide - From Ten Percent Happier, this guide provides guided meditations, talks, & podcasts all designed to help you navigate this election season with more intention and ease.

At the end of the day, we are all humans sharing this one world together. May we all be free of hatred.  May we all be safe.  May we all live with ease and peace.

Loving Kindness Meditations

SWC Election Special Editions!

The SWC has mindfulness meditations,  yoga offerings, wellness-check-ins, and a variety of other virtual wellbeing supports that are always available as additional tools in your self-care toolbox, but we are also offering some special features of Loving Kindness Meditations (LKM), which uses phrases such as "May all beings be free of suffering, be safe, and live with peace" to help transform election day anxiety to one of grace, connection, and peaceful determination.

Loving Kindness for Peace & Grace (10 min) audio recording 

Campus Wide Loving-Kindness Meditations -  Recordings Available Now! Click on the sessions below.

Also check out our regularly scheduled Mindfulness Drop In Session for a moment of post-election day calm.

  • Wednesday, November 4, 4:00-4:30pm
  • Join Zoom Room >>
                  Meeting ID: 935 2557 4968
                  Password: 731083

BEFORE ELECTION DAY, enjoy:

Unwind from Election Stress YOGA 
Monday, Nov. 2nd

4:00 - 4:45 pm (EST)*
   Class & Zoom Details >>
   Meeting ID: 815 8458 0398
   Passcode: 053316

Bonus Meditations:
 

Meet Difficult Emotions with RAIN 

RAIN – Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture – supports and builds our capacity to work compassionately with difficult emotions.
RAIN Meditation (15 min)
Light RAIN Meditation (5 min)

Connect to Common Humanity
A meditation to cultivate compassion and grace for ourselves and others.
Just Like Me (10 min)

Responding to the Election & Creative Protesting

For some tips on how to express yourself at Dartmouth in the context of the COVID pandemic click here!

Additional Resources

Counseling Center Election Drop-In Zoom Discussions will be available for students needing to process feelings or reactions related to the election regardless of political beliefs. This is an opportunity for students to talk with a counselor and peers about distress or concerns related to the election in a non-therapy space. They will be offering 7 options for one-hour Zoom group drop-in. For details and zoom links click here. 

Dartmouth Votes provides information for Dartmouth students about voter registration, abstentee ballots, and a variety of other voting resources.

A Dartmouth Guide to Election 2020 includes election events leading up to Nov. 3, insights from Dartmouth experts, and other helpful election coverage.