Phew! We made it through what might be the most taxing and emotionally draining election of our lifetime. People were stressed out before the election, and now having to wait to see who will be the winner, it seems like we can’t catch a break. If you’re feeling stressed or having some post-election blues, you certainly aren’t alone.
10 ways to cure post-election blues
Whether it’s your candidate who lost or a piece of legislation that did/didn’t pass, we want to focus on where to go from here. Below are 10 ways to cure your post-election blues. 
Join the IGNITE community’s post-election event on Saturday, November 7. Come discuss the election at our National College Council virtual event! Connecting with other like minded women to discuss what happened and where we go from here is a great place to start.
Run for office yourself! Be the change you wish to see, or at least start thinking about it. If running for office someday is something that’s at all intriguing to you, channel your post-election energy into educating yourself on how to run for office.
Get involved with organizations like IGNITE. The midterm election is only two years away and millions more young people will become eligible to vote in that time. Help IGNITE register and mobilize Gen Z voters across America.
Encourage people to vote in the midterms. If the election didn’t turn out the way you’d hoped, it doesn’t mean you should sit out the midterms. Voting is still the most direct action to seeing change in this country. Channel your passion into educating new voters on the power and importance of their vote, help register new voters by becoming an IGNITE the Vote Ambassador, and mobilize new voters by sharing your experience in this election and help them make a plan to prepare for the midterms.
Start or join an organization at your school. Join your local chapter of Young Democrats or Young Republicans. If you’re not 18 yet, you can look into what your school may offer around civic engagement - channeling your energy into mock trials, the debate team, a law or criminal justice club - could be a good avenue for your passion.
Write an article for your school’s newspaper. Half the battle with change is education. Put pen to paper for your passions and share your viewpoint. You can start with your own school paper or take your opinions more widely and submit your work to a national publication. The New York Times Learning Network’s Student Opinion question is a place for youth ages 13 to 19 years old to publicly post writing and participate in civil discussion about issues from politics to pop culture.
Try to better understand the person who did win. Here’s something many don’t want to hear when suffering a defeat - take some time to try to understand the other side. Try to find common ground with those people you know who voted for the other candidate or side of the issue.
Get involved with state and local issues. Feeling like you need to do something to take action today? Set yourself up to follow your representative’s voting patterns and know how to contact them. Sign up for email alerts from your legislators and follow them on social media. Bookmark websites such as GovTrack.us which will allow you to see each bill and how your representative(s) voted. Set reminders for yourself to check it throughout the year. Finally, add your representatives' contact information into your phone so you can quickly get in touch with opinions on legislation. All this information can be found at Whoismyrepresentative.com.
Find comfort in something that brings you joy. Meditate or practice gratitude by looking for positives. Pray if faith comforts you. Use your hands - make art, play music, craft, do puzzles, play games. Get endorphins going through exercise. Bake cookies and deliver them to neighbors. Many of us are suffering from Election Stress Disorder, so take the time to find joy in whatever activity resonates for you.
If all else fails, just disconnect. Seriously, take a break from the news, social media, the relentless noise. Political awareness is a lifelong journey, it’s okay to take a few days away from it all. Don’t burnout as you just begin.
Everyone at IGNITE is so proud of the women who ran this year, our IGNITE the Vote Ambassadors, and each and every one of you who voted. With every election, we are closer to reaching gender equity across the country and we applaud everyone for rising up to help push us forward!