10 ways to combat the red, white and post-election blues

No doubt about it – this has been one loooong election season.

Now that it’s over, don’t be surprised if you experience some withdrawal symptoms: experts note a rise in sleeplessness and anxiety (even if your candidate won) as we adjust to the idea of change.

To combat the inevitable letdown, here are some tips to get back to normal – and to keep our newly-elected leaders on track.

1. Take a break. If you’ve been glued to the TV or internet in the waning days of the campaign, give your overloaded brain a respite. Unplug for awhile and get outside in the real (not “virtual” world).

2. Make a healthy diet and exercise a priority. It’s been way too easy to eat pizza and sit on the couch watching CNN’s election analysis. If you’ve been volunteering for a candidate, its probably been weeks since you ate anything NOT out of a bag. Put some effort into cleaning up your act.

3. If your candidate didn’t win, allow yourself to grieve. This election season was one of the most heated and emotional in recent history – those feelings won’t just disappear. Let yourself feel bad for awhile, but then put that energy to good use by making sure your representatives are aware of the issues important to you.

4. If your candidate DID win, don’t gloat. It’s more productive to try and find some common ground with friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors and work together to make something positive happen….for all of us.

5. Recycle your yard signs and campaign buttons.

6. Start a Meetup group (or join one) and begin mapping out the issues and potential candidates who will be important for 2012 (yes, it will be here before you know it). Find out more at Meetup.com

7. Whether you’re Democrat or Republican, Green or anything else, join the local or state chapter of your party and help formulate the issues that will be key on their platforms.
Democratic National Committee
Republican National Committee
Green Party

8. Find the contact info for your Senators and Representatives – then make your voice heard. Email and FAXes make it easier (and faster) than ever to keep them in the loop of what’s on the minds of their constituents (that’s you).
House Representatives
Senators

9. Volunteer in your community. No matter who you voted for, it’s something we can ALL agree on! To get started you can find opportunities to make a difference on AmericanTowns.com's volunteer resource page.

10. Lighten up and laugh a little. We get to do it all over again in 4 years. “How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?” ~Author Unknown