I’m sure many of us were asking ourselves the same questions the morning after Election Day. What is going on? How did that even happen? What am I supposed to do now? It might have felt like all of our hard work was for nothing. Personally, I never thought I would be this impacted and emotional over the results of a presidential election, but here we are. Knowing that so many important issues were on the ballot this year, it is hard to have now someone who I feel does not have our best interest at heart elected to the most important role in the country. Especially after seeing the outrageous cabinet picks Donald Trump has appointed, this all just feels like a circus.
After taking some time to process who America voted for, a criminal who spews hateful rhetoric, I have tried my best to remain positive in order to avoid spiraling. Here are some things I have been doing to stay optimistic:
Talk with like-minded friends
The first thing I did was talk with my friends about what had just happened. It helped a lot to surround myself with people who share the same morals and beliefs as I do, instead of having to witness all the hate on the other side. We aired out our feelings, got Playa Bowls, and just tried to grasp how this could even be possible. Being able to rant and talk through everything with them helped immensely.
It is easy to feel like you’re alone in your beliefs when so many people voted oppositely to you, but in reality, so many people also voted the same as you. It has been really nice to have friends who I could lean on for mutual support, and come up with plans on how we could stay involved and amplify our voices.
Taking a break from it all
Prioritizing my mental health was crucial after the election. In order to make sure I took care of myself, I still got ready for the day as I would any other day; I went to class and got food from one of my favorite restaurants. Yes, it was hard to act like everything was normal when it surely wasn’t, but doing the things that gave me comfort gave me that sense of stability I needed. I allowed myself to feel all of my emotions and reminded myself that this is not a trivial thing I needed to get over.
Some lighthearted things I have also been doing are playing some of my favorite mobile games (shoutout to Hay Day), watching fun videos on YouTube, and rewatching my favorite television show, One Tree Hill. I wanted to do everything I could to lift my spirits and not feel so down in the dumps. It is important to take care of ourselves so we are able to continue fighting for what we believe in!
Staying empowered and educated
After a certain point of trying to ignore the state of our country, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that forever. So, I made sure to stay informed on the important issues facing all of us by watching reliable news sources, reading articles, listening to politicians speak out, reading journals/books, etc. I didn’t just want to give up when the results weren’t what I and many others had hoped for.
Another thing I did was listen to Kamala’s concession speech the day after Election Day. It allowed me to continue feeling empowered and not as hopeless as I initially felt. She emphasized that the fight for freedom and dignity is not over, that everything will be ok, and that we all have the power to make impossible changes in the world.
“Do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.”
Kamala Harris in her concession speech on Nov. 6, 2024
steps of action
I am now planning how I can find small, meaningful ways each day to take action. Whether that be helping others or volunteering, I want to make a conscious effort to make a change in order to stay motivated and purposeful. Therefore, all of the sadness and anger I have been feeling will hopefully turn into something positive.
For example, spreading awareness on social media has been something I have always taken part in, hence I did share a few posts that outlined my feelings on the outcome. By doing so, I did feel a little bit better knowing that I was on the right side of history. Additionally, I have participated in some thoughtful discussions in clubs, and also the classroom. Just being a part of those discussions inspired me to think further and continue learning from others’ perspectives.
I am thankful that I am able to understand all of the difficulties that will come out of this 2024-2028 presidency. I am additionally thankful that I carry a sense of empathy with me each day to care for others and advocate for the heavily needed changes in our country.
I feel as though all we can do now is not give up and continue hoping for the best.