How To Survive Election Season

If Christmas is the “most wonderful time of the year,” then election season is the most angsty and apocalyptic. And it is upon us…

With those cold election greetings and angry online meetings;
When friends no longer come to call.

There’ll be scary candidate stories
And tales of the glories of
America long, long ago.

Seriously, though, it’s easy to lose your mind over the constant deluge of sensational election news and conversation. Here are seven tips for maintaining your peace amidst the chaos.

 

1. Keep your emotions in check.
Society attaches much importance to elections, so it makes sense that we focus our attention on them. We know that the future of our families and communities is at stake, and that causes us emotional and psychological turmoil.

Elections are important, but keep your expectations modest. We all possess a fallen human nature. People will lie, steal, and cheat.

We’re not saying any hope, excitement, fear, or outrage is unwarranted. But keep these emotions in check so they don’t overtake you.

2. Take stock of your attention.
Politics can absorb a lot of your time, including hours better spent on family, work, worship, and hobbies. Strive to manage that consumption by designating news-free blocks of the day.

For example, don’t doomscroll right before Mass when your mind and heart should be focused on God. Leave politics for another time.

Also, regulate what you read. While there really aren’t any media sources that are completely unbiased, some are more balanced than others.

3. Work for unity instead of stirring the pot.
You are meant to contribute to the political good of your nation. Much of that is going to take place through simple conversations with family and friends. Don’t throw bombastic accusations at them or cut them out of your life because they don’t support your candidate. Focus your discussions on building bridges and identifying points of agreement.

4. Don’t be reactionary.
When someone you ordinarily disagree with makes a claim, it’s easy to immediately say the opposite. This behavior doesn’t involve thinking so much as reacting. Usually, we’re reacting out of outrage, fear, or sadness.

Issues are often more nuanced than we imagine. Also, just because your friend seems wrong on many issues doesn’t mean they’re never right.

5. Don’t whitewash.
Too often, we look for the perfect candidate — someone with no skeletons in the closet. But, as we’ve said, politicians are human, and human beings are fallen creatures. Some are worse than others, but we all have our issues.

Once you embrace a candidate, it’s easy to look past their faults. However, you need to admit to their shortcomings, which also will boost your credibility.

6. Check apocalyptic thinking.
We tend to think that if things don’t go our way, everything will fall into utter ruin. With elections, the feeling is that if our candidate doesn’t win, that’s the end of this nation.

Maybe or maybe not. We are in a period of cultural decline, but pining after some “golden age” is rarely helpful. Embrace the time God placed you in and work for its betterment.

7. Remember what politics really is.
Politics is sometimes described as “the art of the possible.” We’re rarely able to fully implement our political ideals in society. The goal should be to work for the common good while keeping a realistic perspective of what’s possible.

We’ll close with a reminder from St. Teresa of Avila: “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away: God never changes….God alone suffices.”