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Anybody else wake up with an overwhelming sense of panic and dread today? Hooray, it’s another Election Day in America! As someone who woke up with jaw pain from apparently clenching my teeth so hard (apologies in advance to my dentist), I feel well-suited to offer some much-needed tips for decompressing this week as the results are tallied.
If you're reading this, you likely already know the stakes have never been higher. The most important thing to do, obviously, is VOTE (and maybe even phone bank or at least ask your relatives about their voting plan). But after you’ve done your civic duty, there’s only so much that doom scrolling or staring at the television will do in the days ahead. That’s why I’m dedicating my column today to sharing some ways to destress. Give yourself some time to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. In honor of the 19th amendment, here are nine ways to destress right now.
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1. Get outside
This is my tried-and-true, go-to method for stress relief. One of my favorite places to visit is Hudson River Park where I watch the geese glide along, gaze at the sunset as it dips across the water, and admire the beauty of the flowers. Whatever green space is near you (if you need a suggestion, here’s our list of best parks), go there. Sit and listen to the quiet. Be still. Or, like me, walk and walk and walk until things start falling into place in your mind. If you can keep your phone tucked away in your pocket while you're there, that's even better.
2. Hang out with other New Yorkers
Whether you want to watch the results come in while sipping a free drink or not watch the results while petting a puppy, there are cool events across the city for you. One event includes dancing, another features drag performances. Here's our full list.
As the organizers of Balcon Salon's watch party so aptly put it: "Why face this intense night alone at home when you can be with your community knowing that you're never alone!"
3. Detach from reality
I know immersive experiences draw a wide variety of opinions, but I think they're an excellent way to detach from reality for a bit. ARTECHOUSE is my pick for today because you can get in for just $10 (use the code IVOTED online with valid proof upon entry or buy a ticket on-site with an 'I VOTED' sticker). Happily for all of us who could use a drink after this election cycle, there's an extended happy hour at the XR Bar.
ARTECHOUSE is currently the exhibit Flashback 5, which celebrates five years of exhibits, so you'll get to some of the venue's coolest shows in one. I can personally vouch for Beyond the Light, which was created in collaboration with NASA.
4. Walk among art
Speaking of art, experiencing non-digital art could also be a balm for the soul. For me, that looks like wandering the impressionist galleries at the Met until I happily feel a bit lost.
There are two exhibits right now that seem tailor-made for this election season. The first is a free exhibit about Abraham Lincoln at the Grolier Club, which features the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and his Cooper Union Speech. The second is Real Clothes, Real Lives at the New-York Historical Society, which documents women's fashion over the decades, including how women used clothing as a form of rebellion. Let's go, girls.
5. See Suffs on Broadway
It's another election with women's bodies on the ballot, and remember: Women only won the right to vote in 1919. To be clear, though, that only allowed white women the right to vote; women of color had to wait even longer. Suffrage was a hard-fought right, and this powerful musical details the fight. As the musical's characters sing: "But keep marching, keep marching / 'Cause your ancestors are all the proof you need / That progress is possiblе, not guaranteed / It will only be made if we keep marching / Keep marching on." Here's our full review of Suffs.
6. Get your rage out
If you’re the kind of person who wants to take a baseball bat to pile of dishes or an old computer, there is a spot for you to do that. It’s called Live Rage, and you can find it in Lower Manhattan. While it’s not personally my cup of tea, as I wrote about here, I could definitely see the value taking a crowbar to a computer while thinking about the concept of the electoral college.
7. Take a workout class
I recently started doing reformer pilates (shoutout Club Pilates), and one of the great things about this workout is that I literally cannot think about anything other than my corporeal form when I'm coordinating my core, breathing, and muscles I didn't even know I had. Feeling physically fitter is a nice bonus, too! Need a gym recc? Here's our list.
8. Take a craft class
Do something with your hands at a craft class. From bagel making to sword fighting and sewing to bonsai planting, there are a ton of cool and quirky classes to try in NYC. Next on my list: Bead night with Susan Alexandra.
9. Find some peace
Come Wednesday night, I bet we could all use some healing. The Episcopal Diocese of New York is co-organizing a post-election interfaith vigil for all to come together for reflection and community as we await the presidential results.
The vigil begins at 7pm on Wednesday, November 6, at the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It welcomes attendees to come together to pray, sing and “share creative expressions of hope for our collective futures.” Here’s to that.