Living in a “purple state” during an election year can be interesting, to say the least. Many of us are rightfully concerned about how policies will affect our future. I know I’m not alone in feeling less control over this situation than I’d like. While there is so much outside of our control, there are some practices that could make the coming months a little more tolerable and empowering.

While federal government happenings are incredibly important, it may feel worthwhile to focus on the policies and events that are happening at a local level. I’m certainly guilty of overlooking what happens in my community in favor of more attention-grabbing headlines. While local politics may still not go our way, it can feature more achievable goals, which can feel motivating and reinforcing for us. This could look like engaging in town hall meetings, community organizing, or staying informed about the policies of local leaders who are running for office.

Easy accessibility to media can keep us in a state of mindless consumption, which leads to lost time and beneficial interactions. Staying informed in an intentional way can be more favorable for a lot of us. This could look like consulting multiple news sources and only checking news sources for one hour at the same time each day.

Lastly, it is important to stay true to our values and priorities. It may sound like I’m steering us off topic, but please hear me out. When we’re staying true to ourselves, it eases our internal sense of conflict between our priorities and what is taking place in our lives. In this, we’re creating our own policies for ourselves and by sticking to them, we feel empowered. Living in accordance with our values could look like pursuing long-term goals and making time for important people in our lives.

If you need some additional support in creating a sense of wellness in this election cycle, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Ohio State University Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 800-678-6265 or making a Counseling Request or Work/Life Request online.