Make no mistake about it. The 2022 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections is a stressful one. Although there are a handful of candidates, the nation seems to be divided into two.
Social media has become a war zone, and once again, the gloves are off.
Today, May 9, is Election Day. By the time readers get to check this article, there would probably be initial polling results, and ideally, a picture of who’s most likely to win.
Tomorrow, there will be proverbial bodies on the ground. As the dust settles and politicians re-align their interests with whoever’s in a position of power, families and friendships would have already been sacrificed.
Not all hope is lost, however, as democracy sows what it reaps. Whether in jubilation or in suffering, life continues, and the Filipino people must be united in ensuring each day—until the next national elections—is a day worth living for everyone.
Here are some suggestions on how to deal with post-elections stress:
Abstain from social media. It’s well past Holy Week, but abstinence from nonsense, fake news, trolling and bullying will do one a lot of mental good. You don’t have to stay offline forever, consider a day or two.
Take your mind off election news. After you’ve voted, what’s done is done. The campaign season is over and your vote is the most important thing you have contributed to the country. What happens next is just drama. Instead of tuning in to blow-by-blow news reporting, limit your interaction with the news on a daily basis, perhaps, an hour a day every morning?
Go out and socialize. This is easier said than done considering that first, many are probably stressed about the elections and second, Covid-19 is still around the corner. However, try to make an effort to go out with friends (needless to say, skip the topic of politics in conversations). You would be surprised to re-discover that there’s still a life after three months of hardcore politicking.