After the 2016 election results, you're probably feeling like the world is made of hot coals and your face is made of butter and that nothing has ever been good in the world... or something like that. A lot of us are in a weird, surreal place that feels both terribly close and weirdly abstract. But the one thing that is definitely true right now: we could use a little bit of a pick-me-up. OK, a lot of a pick-me-up. (Actually, what we really need is to be able to go back in time and convince more people to vote and more people to vote for the right person and for none of this to have ever happened and for us to be celebrating the first female president.)
But, that's not going to happen, and it's time to accept it. In the meantime, however, we could use a goddamned smile. Well, luckily, this Buzzfeed video will give you exactly the chuckle you need. In case you're feeling like a we're entering a whole new universe that a bleak future that will never end, they posted on their Facebook page a good reminder that this too shall pass, that there is a future. Something that looks a little like this:
That's right, guys. Less than three years, 11 months, and four weeks left until the next election! Hallelujah!
After this seemingly endless election cycle, I never thought I'd be looking forward to it all starting over again. But god, I am happy to count down every little second until 2020. So thank you, Buzzfeed, for the smile. And to everyone who needs one, here are some helpful hints for getting through the post-election delirium:
1. Stay Close To People You Love
"I had to tell my 9-year-old son that our country did not elect the first female president but rather the first reality TV star president," relationship therapist Aimee Hartstein, LCSW tells Bustle. "I also had to reassure him, and myself, that the world will go on. ... My advice to him, myself, and you is to turn towards your friends and family." The people that make you feel best about yourself, the people who make you feel safe and home and comfortable — those are your people. Stay close.
2. Stick To Your Routine
Look, there are things that make you happy — so stick with them. Your little routines and rituals that make you feel like you are so important right now. I know that this is a larger than life event and you feel like anything goes — and if you need a catharsis, go for it — but also try to stay grounded.
"I tell my clients not to let the election overtake them," Shemiah Derrick, M.A., Mental Health Therapist, tells Bustle. "There are a multitude of things that one individual person cannot control. I am urging them to stick to their routine — go to work, go to the gym, make dinner and do whatever they would on a normal day. This can help to give them control and provide a distraction over something they cannot."
3. Find Something To Make You Laugh
Laughter may not be actual medicine, but it sure can feel like that. Go to a movie, a comedy show, talk to your favorite toddler— anything that's going to give you a break and fill you with joy for a minute.
The world will feel so much better when you see that it's still turning and there's still laughter.
