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| Photo by Rick Hustead |
The
ballots are in. The votes are counted. Acceptance and concession speeches,
respectively, have been delivered. Many people are thrilled with the outcome of
this contentious presidential campaign; many people are not. But even though
Americans have made their choice who will be the next Commander-in-Chief, there
is plenty of raw emotion on display.
For
months, many Americans believed and expected that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
would win the election. Ultimately, that was not to be. Last night, millions of
citizens who had grown frustrated, weary and jaded by the business-as-usual
antics of lifelong Washington politicians effectively expressed this dismay in
electing Republican candidate Donald J. Trump as the United States’
45th president. The stunning outcome of the presidential race was
surprising, exciting, disappointing depending which candidate you supported. On
the one hand, the election was a great civics lesson for all Americans to
illustrate how this country’s election process works and why every citizen’s
vote really does make a difference. People who had been frustrated, angry and,
yes, scared, about where they thought the country was headed dropped the metaphoric
gauntlet for change, and the new President-Elect picked up that mantle. In his
acceptance speech, he swore to be their champion and effect all those social
changes his supporters wanted.
Meanwhile,
many of Secretary Clinton’s supporters are experiencing grief and even
confusion about what happened last night and, more significant, anxiety what
will happen in the next four years. Those who voted for and expected her to win
this presidential race also had a special vested (subconscious) interest in her
inauguration. A Democratic president
has occupied this office for eight years. In addition to supporting causes that
are particularly important to this party, people have become comfortable with
what Mrs. Clinton represents and stands for. In the 30-plus years she has been
politically active, her political mind-set and decision-making processes/actions
had become familiar and known. It was unlikely she would say or do anything
unexpected or whimsical. She represented a reliable, “safe” choice for a leader
who promised to fulfill certain specific campaign promises.
However,
more people in the country wanted and demanded a change from business-as-usual.
Mr. Trump’s message spoke clearly and directly to his party. He promises to
deliver what his supporters haven’t enjoyed for a long time—including, they
insist, a sense of feeling safe and protected. Whether he consciously employed hypno-modality
techniques at political rallies, the President-Elect (more) successfully used these
tools to convince voters that he was the better candidate for the job.
Almost
24 hours later, Americans are still processing the outcome of this recent election
and what it means—and will mean—for this country. It is okay to feel
disappointment and even grief if your candidate did not win. Many people’s dreams,
hopes and optimism for a better future started to be realized at the exact same
moment those of other people were dashed. Depending on your level of investment
in this race, you may need to revise your previous subconscious
mental script or even construct a completely new one to adapt to these
unexpected/unwanted changes in your long-term plan. Meanwhile, take care to
prevent getting carried away in daydreams or falling into a spiral of toxic
worry about the future. Get plenty of sleep at night and be sure to eat
healthy, nutritious meals that contain protein (meat or plant-based) that will help
keep your mood even and anxiety levels low. Diaphragmatic
breathing exercises and practicing the Emotional
Freedom Technique are also great ways to increase relaxation and reduce
anxiety and any negative emotions/associations about the outcome of this
election.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified
hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors
from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an
appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2016
