We humbly submit our suggestions for surviving the most stressful first Tuesday following the first Monday in November any of us can remember.
- Put together a playlist of your favorite music.
- Stock up on some weed. Smoke it as needed.
- Don’t stay glued to your screens.
- Give yourself breaks.
- Meditate.
- Get your election night news from a reputable news outlet.
- Organize or clean: Tackle that cleaning project you’ve been putting off — pull your miniblinds down and clean each panel individually while listening to a narrative fiction podcast like “Steal the Stars.” Break for wine or snacks at your own discretion.
- Video chat with your squad.
- Make a plan for the week, including listening to some of the smartest people in the room—Naomi Klein, Astra Taylor, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor—discuss Where Do We Go From Here? with Haymarket Books on Friday.
- Dig into your spiritual practice . . . read the tarot, sage your home, etc.
- Spend time with your pet(s).
- Cook something delicious (then eat it!).
- Take a walk or bike ride, preferably in a park or other nature-y place.
- Try aromatherapy oils: lavender and jasmine, among other scents, have been associated with reduced stress and anxiety
- Call a friend who makes you laugh.
- Trade your coffee for herbal tea.
- Vote early and then spend Election Day driving people in need to their polls and back; or donate ride-sharing/taxi rides. Contact your favorite senior center to start.
- Go to the corner of LaSalle and Grand and make goo-goo faces at the animals in the window at the Anti-Cruelty Society.
- Spend the day walking through Lincoln Park and eat a churro.
- Scroll Pete Souza’s Instagram account for a dose of Obama-nostalgia dopamine.
- Take Wednesday off as a Mental Health Day—for either the hangover or the crying.
- Schedule something with other people on Wednesday—a walk or a Zoom call—so you aren’t alone in your head.
- Call your therapist and schedule a session this week.
- Line up shows you like to watch—the Great British Baking Show, anyone?—to give your brain a break.
- Treat yourself to the total escape of Haymarket Opera Company’s Acis and Galatea.
- Support a local Chicago business.
- Take a nap.
- Follow Karen K. Ho, aka Doomscrolling Reminder Lady, on Twitter for regular reminders to stop doomscrolling.
- Donate to causes you care about.
- Make a list of things you’re grateful for, including the right to vote.
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