Ten Things ...

... I've been doing to avoid anxiety over the election. 

I consider myself reasonably well-informed, and I usually read the news in online form once a day. For the past several weeks I've stopped doing that because it makes me:

A). Angry
B). Fearful
C). Both of the above

I also used to listen to NPR when I was working in the kitchen, but I had to stop doing even that the other day. When we're not involved in a contentious and consequential election, NPR often provides a good mix of news, human interest stories, music, and interviews, but now it's all just dire headlines. When this happened last week, I stopped my dinner prep, went to the CD drawer, and put on the first CD I grabbed. It has made a huge difference in my mood, so I started thinking about other things that are helping me avoid anxiety. Here are 10 of them.

1. Listen to music - The CD I grabbed was The Goat Rodeo Sessions with Yo-Yo Ma. It was exactly what I needed and I've listened to it enough that John is almost sick of it. But then I just used Bluetooth with my hearing aids to stream it directly into my ears. I think it's brilliant, and when I tire of it, I'll look for more Yo-Yo Ma or something else. 

2. Dance It Out - I'm not much of a dancer, but I've watched enough Grey's Anatomy to know that this seemed to work for Meredith and Cristina. I can hardly listen to Attaboy and Fiddle Medley from the CD above without dancing. There are plenty of Dance It Out playlists on YouTube and Spotify, so choose one and let yourself go.

3. Take A Walk - This is a good one as it can be long or short, a relaxed saunter, or a walk fueled by rage. I can almost guarantee that you'll feel better by the time you're done. 

4. Read - This usually works for me, but I've had to make some adjustments. I've tried reading outside of my usual genres because I was finding that I just couldn't concentrate on literary fiction. I tried some short stories and cozy mysteries but they weren't much better. I'm now listening to Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas (a gothic mystery/thriller). After a strange beginning, it has at least been interesting enough to keep me listening, but we'll see. I'm also reading The Tree Collectors by Amy Stewart. Subtitled Tales of Arboreal Obsession, this work of nonfiction has 50 illustrated vignettes of people whose lives have been transformed by their obsessive passion for trees. I didn't know there were even five people obsessed with trees, but it's great so far!

5. Knit - I didn't choose the hat pattern I'm currently knitting (Rows and Arrows) for its ability to distract me, but it is serving that purpose well. It's just a hat, so it's not overly complicated but there are cable crossings every other row, and I'm at the part where I'm trying a modification to make the hat longer. More complicated than plain garter or stockinette but not too difficult is working for me. 

6. Clean - I dislike cleaning a lot, but I've found that scrubbing my toilets, cleaning the whole bathroom, or mopping the kitchen floor have been productive ways to curb anxiety and think about how two people can spill so much stuff on the floor.

7. Play A Game - John hates games, so I've been playing Scrabble on my Kindle. I've adjusted the settings so I'm playing a difficult game against the computer, and having to try my hardest to think of words to beat the computer keeps me from focusing on other things. I've also dusted off my Switch and spending half an hour on Utopia (my Animal Crossing island) is enough to calm me down. 

8. Watch Something - I've been immersed in The Lincoln Lawyer and The Great British Baking Show. I love listening to Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller and I've learned what frangipane is. For some reason, I thought it was a fruit, but it's really a creamy mixture of ground almonds, butter, sugar, and eggs that can be used to fill tarts. Bruce Springsteen's Road Diary documentary on Hulu is also definitely worth watching. 

9. Connect With Others - This might mean leaving a comment on someone's blog or an email exchange with a commenter (I love these and have enjoyed many email conversations with many of you!) It might mean a conversation with your neighbor or maybe calling your sister. I hesitated to call my sister because I love her dearly but her political leanings differ greatly from mine. We avoid talking about politics and just talk. 

10. Nap - I realize that not everyone can take naps, but I'm retired and have been learning to appreciate the restorative power of a good nap. Being well-rested is good self-care. 

So I'm wondering if you are feeling apprehensive about the election (or really the results of the election)? If so, what have you been doing to ease your nervousness and dread? We are all in this together, and I'd love to hear the ways you are coping.