Maintaining Equanimity on Election Day

also it's my Substack-iversary!

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Way back in January, I picked “equanimity” as my word of the year. Wikipedia explains it this way:

Equanimity is a state of psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by the experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenomena that may cause others to lose the balance of their mind. The virtue and value of equanimity is extolled and advocated by a number of major religions and ancient philosophies.

What a year to pick this word! There have been so many ups and downs. I took my family to the Grand Canyon; I performed all over the country with The Moth; in February my brother lost his battle with alcoholism. And to top it all off, we have this all-caps HISTORIC presidential election, which, depending on which political commentators you’re reading, might range from mildly interesting to possibly THE LAST DEMOCRATIC ELECTION IN AMERICA, EVER!!!!!!

Sheesh. What does equanimity look like on a day like today? How can we stay sane as the country holds its breath? I’ve been scouring the web for tips and here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. Move Your Body. Our bodies evolved to help us outrun predators, but modern stressors aren’t so easily escaped. Still, finding a way to use up the adrenaline surging through our bodies will help us complete “the stress cycle.” I’ll be running on the treadmill today, but any kind of exercise will help you feel better.

2. Focus On One Small Thing You CAN Control. Did you vote? Good, your job is done. You can’t (unfortunately) control anything more than that. But there are a lot of things you can control, be it something as noble as volunteering or as mundane as cleaning your house. During the 2020 election, I was so stressed that I shampooed all the carpets in my house. This year, I’m probably going to focus on finally scrubbing all the kid handprints off the hallway walls.

3. Be Here, Now. Uncertainty is really hard. You might find yourself spiraling as you think about the future. Buddhism teaches that the present is all that exists—while your mind may stray to the past or the future, the present moment is all that is. Try to ground yourself by noticing the environment around you.

4. Take The Long View. Can you name who was president in 1924? How about 1955? 1873? All those voters probably thought the issues of their time to be very pressing, but in a hundred years, does anyone care? If history isn’t your thing, how about getting out into nature. Look at a forest, or a sky full of stars. Remember that all our human dramas are small in regards to the universe. Can’t get outside? You can always get high and watch Planet Earth.

5. Distract Yourself By Scrolling Through the Heretic Hereafter Archives! Sunday was my 2nd anniversary on Substack, so please don’t mind this shameless plug. ICYMI, here are the top three most popular posts of the last year:

It’s been such a strange and gratifying journey to share this Substack with y’all. Committing myself to reading, discussing, and writing through issues around faith, spirituality, and morality has been a huge tool for my own growth, and I hope you’ve found it helpful, too.

One thing I’ll ask you to consider is whether you’re able to financially support this publication. If my emails are something you look forward to, if they’ve helped you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. I’ve even added a discounted rate for the rest of November. (It will return to the standard rate in December.) Your subscription of $40, $80, or $150 per year will enable this work to continue into the future.

At any rate, (pun completely intended!) I’m grateful for your readership, comments, emails, and the like. I’m humbled and by the community that’s popped up around this newsletter. You continue to surprise and teach me. Thank you for being here.