5 Ways to Cope if Your Party Lost: It’s Just Politics
The loss of candidates in the General Election can cause supporters to unpack a slew of emotions.
You’ve campaigned, perhaps volunteered and/or voted with surety of a win at the polls. But your candidate and party lost.
Here’s how to cope:
- Take a break from social media
Memes, photos and posts on social media can bait you into unhealthy discussions about the election. Some people may be boastful of their candidates and post their opinions in an untactful manner while degrading political candidates. But stay away from the discussions and have meaningful and healthy conversations with people you know either face-to-face or via telephone.
2. Change the narrative and focus on the good
Your candidate may not have won but he or she ran an ‘honest and clean’ campaign. Tailor the standards of victory and focus on the strengths of the party and its candidates. They are ‘winners’ nonetheless.
3. Affiliate with people of like mind
Form a circle of people whom you respect, understand and listen to. Have a small gathering to talk about the election and keep your feelings within the circle. These friends will make you feel better after the loss.
4. Find good qualities in the winning party and candidates
Psychologists suggest writing down 3 to 5 things that are interesting about the winning party and its candidates. Though it may be difficult, it will help you to gain perspective on why others may have voted the way they did.
5. Accept the outcome
This is something you cannot change. You may never understand why other voters did not see your perspective or why you voted for another party or candidate. But accept that voters have a choice to choose whom they wish. There are many things you can not change, the election is one of them.
