Donald Trump has been re-elected president of the United States. Despite his penchant for fascism and authoritarianism, his fear campaign, his repeated lies.
Posted at 3:29 a.m.
Updated at 6:00 a.m.
The vast majority of Quebecers – 73%, according to a recent Environics survey1 – supported Kamala Harris. Are you one of them and the result depresses you? Not sure how you’ll get through four more years of Trump in the White House? Here is a guide to surviving (mentally) this second term.
A normal shock
Do you feel like the joy around you has suddenly dissipated? Don’t panic.
“It’s a normal reaction, it’s not irrational. It’s okay to be shocked by something shocking,” says Kaspar Schattke, professor of psychology at UQAM.
If the election of Donald Trump affects you so much, it is probably because he attacks values that are important to you – and to most of Quebec society – such as democracy, respect for others and women’s rights.
“It touches on our fundamental values,” says Roxane de la Sablonnière, professor of psychology at the University of Montreal and specialist in social psychology.
So it’s normal to be angry and moody for a few days.
But if this black cloud invades your daily life for weeks and you have difficulty functioning, there may be a more important problem that requires outside help, believes psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier. There are several resources such as crisis lines. If necessary, you can also consult a psychologist.
Find a helpline
Experiencing your disappointment, identifying your emotions
Take the time to experience your disappointment.
There will undoubtedly be sadness, anger and helplessness. “We need to identify our emotions and express them,” says psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier. A good way to do it: write down what you feel. For a Facebook status, or simply for yourself.
Be careful, experiencing your emotions does not mean taking part in all the office discussions about Donald Trump. “We can set our limits. We choose the people with whom we talk about it. We can simply respond: “I’m disappointed, but I don’t want to talk about it,” says psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier, associate professor at UQAM.
Take a step back
Taking a step back (“reinterpreting the situation” in psychology) is an emotional regulation strategy that is generally effective. “We give ourselves time to think, digest the situation, understand it,” says psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier.
In the case of Donald Trump, taking a step back may mean realizing that he will not be all-powerful: the American political system has counter-powers.
Act according to your values
Once the shock has passed, it’s time to take action.
Think about your core values, the ones that are being clashed. And act on them.
“Try to take concrete actions in your daily life that bring you closer to these values,” says Professor Roxane de la Sablonnière. If it is respect for others, what can I do in my life to promote respect for others? »
This could be actions in public space, such as participating in a demonstration for a cause that is close to your heart, such as women’s rights.
On a smaller scale, you can also make gestures in your daily life. “If respect for others is an important value to you, it can be as simple as listening to a friend,” says Mme de la Sablonnière.
You are powerless in the face of the Trump administration’s decisions that may offend your values. But you have control over your actions. “Having a real impact around you, on a small scale, allows you to get out of this feeling of helplessness,” says psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier.
A caveat: don’t take the fate of the United States on your shoulders either. “The idea is to get closer to our values with our capabilities and our resources,” says Mme de la Sablonnière.
Eat a balanced diet of Trumpian information
As Donald Trump often makes the headlines, it can quickly become very heavy for citizens troubled by his election.
In this case, it is better not to be constantly exposed to every statement from Donald Trump, not to let him invade our information routine too much.
We need to “find our optimal dose of information to stay informed without it making us anxious. We want to be informed, but not overwhelmed,” says psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier.
How do we find this delicate balance, which varies according to each citizen? By “consuming information in a balanced way from credible and reliable sources of information,” says Mme Beaulieu-Pelletier.
And stop learning about the United States altogether? For people who like to be informed, it’s called denial. “Denial is not a useful long-term strategy, our anxiety always lingers,” says Mme Beaulieu-Pelletier.
Do not anticipate disaster scenarios
Who says Donald Trump says uncertainty and unpredictability. We will have to get used to it for the next few years and avoid ruminating over all the potential catastrophic scenarios. “As we have absolutely no control over anything, this is not a path that will appease us. Let’s wait and see what happens. We can then let ourselves be angry,” says psychologist Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier.
Donald Trump could show us all the colors over the next four years.
So keep these tips not too far away.
They might (unfortunately) come in handy more than once.
1. Check out the Environics survey
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