Election week finally arrived; a day that, not without reason, we greet with double optimism and fear. As we wait for the election results and subsequent reactions, it is vital to concentrate on the wellness and sweetness practices that keep us grounded.

Regardless of the election result, emotions shall be high and will spark social unrest, which could cause significant concern for marginalized groups. As evidenced by past elections and the January 6 revolt, American society often finds itself in a polarized and reactive state. The potential consequence of a Black woman’s election to the presidency raises hope in lots of and outrage in others, prompting some populations to concentrate on caring for themselves and their communities during this time.

Wellness and sweetness routines often go hand in hand and will be effective regulating practices to appease nerves. The ritualistic nature of makeup or skincare routines, mindfulness meditations, and prioritizing nutrition and rest are all ways to nourish yourself during difficult times. The immediate aftermath of results, whether higher or worse, is more likely to trigger emotionally charged experiences.

She tapped ESSENCE Dr. Robin OnwongPh.D., a provisionally licensed psychologist, to grasp how these decisions may impact Black women and what we are able to do to develop healthy habits.

First, it explains the function of the stress hormone, cortisol, and its context. “When cortisol levels are high for an prolonged time period (e.g., from the beginning of voter registration to Election Day to the inauguration), stress begins to build up and creates allostatic load. In other words, it weakens our immune system and increases the chance of mental health problems, heart problems, fatigue, lack of attention, poor nutrition, etc.

“Overall,” she continues, “most black women in the states were already experiencing high allostatic load, and the election season only deepened the collective sense of heaviness.”

“My encouragement, from both a human and clinical standpoint, is to manage the stress before and after the election whenever possible, focus on the fundamentals and stay on top of the controllables. This looks like building on well-being practices that focus on our basic human needs.”

Dr. Onwong’s list of straightforward areas we are able to start relieving stress include: eating nutritious meals and staying adequately hydrated, getting enough quality rest, and exercising. Additionally, she notes that other vital practices include breath work “which draws you into the present moment,” gratitude exercises, clearing your physical space, and being “a more gracious steward of your time on social media.”

It also points to the effectiveness of community, which may give some people a way of hope and security. In addition to home wellness methods, there are numerous shared spaces where you may seek emotional refuge. Below you can see resources so you may safely connect with others and never feel the necessity to face this stressful day alone.

Sister Song’s Election Party

Sister Song is a reproductive justice collective led by women of color based in Atlanta, Georgia. On November 5, they’re organizing a private “election party” with themes of sharing space, healing, creating artistic endeavors and being in community.

Former President Donald Trump delivered a blistering campaign speech in Georgia on Sunday that was supposed to be his final address to undecided voters in the state, but as a substitute became one in all his most rambling tirades since becoming the GOP nominee, prompting a wave of ridicule on social media.

During a speech in Macon, some in the audience appeared to fall asleep as Trump talked about brutal deaths at the hands of immigrants and vented his frustration over what he called 800,000 falsified “cob” reports when he meant “jobs,” while his voice often stuttered with a monotonous tone that failed to excite the crowd.

“Dementia Don is going through some stuff,” one X user commentedwhich reflects a wave of criticism about Trump’s mental capability to lead the country.

At one point, Trump mentioned that if he became president again, he would love to put former comebacker Herschel Walker in charge of the nation’s missile defense, though Walker has no prior experience with military strategy or defense systems.

“We will build an all-USA-made anti-missile shield wrapped around our country to defend us and our country,” Trump announced to his cheering supporters. Trump then added, “We’re going to put Herschel Walker in charge of this little sucker” — which drew little applause.

TRUMP: We will construct an anti-missile shield. We’ll put Herschel Walker in charge of this little sucker

CUT TO:

The man whom Donald Trump wants to entrust with command of the American missile defense system. https://t.co/yOVm0crpWU pic.twitter.com/KvTv4bHyzu

— Eric Champnella (@champnella) November 4, 2024

When Walker took the stage, he did himself no favors to prove he was ready for the task, sounding nervous at times and having difficulty pronouncing Trump’s name appropriately.

“Let’s not let Donald Trump down, because he won’t let us down. Because when you see what they are doing to this country. You say it’s a damn shame. And it’s time to stop it. And it will end on Tuesday when we get to the polls and vote for my friend and your friend, Donald Trump Jr.!” Walker stated before realizing his mistake and starting to stutter to correct himself.

However, he repeatedly mispronounced Trump’s name. “Donald Trump, er, Jonald J. Trump!”

Herschel Walker is as real an idiot as Republicans think Kamala is https://t.co/WYARGehpYO

— Foster (@fosterd07) November 4, 2024

Social media has rightly mocked Walker for becoming a caricature or Uncle Tom-like figure in the Trump campaign, and his appearance has only reinforced doubts about his readiness to tackle a major role in the next Trump administration.

“I’m insulted by you. “Herschel Walker embodies every negative stereotype that black Americans have fought against for decades: violence, crime, intellectual inferiority and sexual promiscuity” – one person he wrote further X. “Republicans admit it’s just a symbol so they can claim they’re not racist.”

Other in addition, “Herschel Walker is as real an idiot as Republicans think Kamala is.”

A podcast video featuring Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly and Chico Bean, who mocked Herschel Walker’s 2022 GOP Senate campaign, has resurfaced on social media platforms after he suggested creating a “department that may look into young men women social media” in response to the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

“Herschel Walker played football when helmets were soft” – one in all the panelists he joked at the time, drawing raucous laughter from the studio audience.

🗣 THE HELMET WAS SOFT!!!!!! https://t.co/CONTf1p45v pic.twitter.com/CPwbm555pQ

— DIAMOND LIFE (@Melanated_AF) May 26, 2022

Throughout the day at

“That guy in the gold hat looks like he’s fighting the urge to nod off,” Justin Baragona wrote on X, sharing three photos showing the man leaning back and sleepily observing Trump.

Other social media influencers looked for signs of boredom amongst the audience as Trump talked in circles.

“The young women behind Trump are struggling,” noted Aaron Rupar, an independent journalist who covers the Trump campaign from a liberal standpoint. He shared a video of a young woman stifling a yawn while one other woman sitting next to her appears engrossed in her phone.

Rupar noted that ladies seemed unfazed by Trump’s fear-mongering over acts of violence he attributed to immigrant gang members on Long Island, New York.

“Trump’s beautiful 16-year-olds cut with knives don’t seem like a big hit.” Rupper he wrote, while declaring Trump’s word salad, which included:Agriculture“for agriculture” and “flasks” regarding the jobs quote in which Trump tried to criticize the Biden administration for creating jobs but had difficulty making his views clear to supporters.

“The whistleblower posted information about 18 of the 800,000 cobs, and furthermore the whistleblower said you know it wasn’t 800,000 but 18,000, you add that up and then you add 100 and you think it’s 112,000 jobs,” Trump said.

Dementia Don is going through some things.

— Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) November 4, 2024

“Just look at the crowd,” commented Fred Wellman, sharing a video showing a young woman waking up from a nap just as Trump made his gaffe.

In response to this error, a Michigan GOP Watch political pundit joked, “His brain is tapioca pudding.”

Rupar also identified that Trump began an anecdote about former first lady Michelle Obama but didn’t finish it.

“Trump starts with Michelle Obama but gets distracted and never finishes the thought,” Rupar wrote. “I have always treated his beautiful wife Michelle, I have always had great respect for her, but she has been hard on me lately…” Trump began. “What was that, Front Row Joes?” he asked before turning to the size of his crowd.

The speech reflected a pattern of Trump’s incoherence, characterised by a disturbing tendency to gibberish and contradict himself, which further fueled concerns about his understanding of key issues and the impact of his age as Trump turned 78 in June.

On Friday, in one other speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump told rallygoers that he had a “very fertile brain,” while defending himself against critics who proceed to accuse the former president of “cognitive impairment.”

“I have a very fertile, very fertile brain, but it’s a weave and we do it, that’s how you tell one story and discuss about 15 subplots, but you come to a final answer,” Trump said, according to Newsweek. “They said: he was wandering, I’m not wandering. I’m making a weave, do you already know what a weave is? It’s history.”

As Vice President Kamala Harris explained in a Tuesday speech outside the White House attended by tens of 1000’s of supporters, including me, the private stakes for each of us within the 2024 election are extremely high.

We all have lots to realize by electing Harris as president. If former President Donald Trump wins, we have now all the pieces to lose. This is particularly true for black people.

What’s at stake?

Preserving our democracy and freedom. Maintaining prices of food and other goods. Protection of reproductive and voting rights. Increasing educational opportunities and residential ownership. Increasing the affordability of healthcare. On these and other issues, Harris would make our lives higher while Trump made them worse.

When it involves Black people specifically, Harris — who, if elected, would develop into our second Black and first female president — understands from first-hand experience the devastating impact that systemic racism has on us. He desires to open the door to the American dream for everyone.

Harris he promised to not raise taxes on people making lower than $400,000 a yr. But it could require the rich and enormous corporations to pay their fair proportion of taxes to fund programs that profit thousands and thousands of us, creating a chance economy that may enable people not only to survive, but to progress.

Lifestyle

Trump advocates policies that may make life worse not only for Black Americans, but for most Americans. He would do it cut taxes on corporations and millionaires and billionaires like him, forcing cuts to programs that profit thousands and thousands of Americans and increasing the national debt. His other proposed tax cuts would depart the Social Security trust fund without enough money to pay full advantages to seniors and others, forcing a 33% reduction in advantages. in 2031

Harris would do it maintain the inflation rate by eliminating food price gouging, protecting our trade relationships with other countries, and taking other actions. It would lower taxes for the overwhelming majority of Americans.

Harris said she would sign the bipartisan compromise laws fix our broken immigration system, improve border security and create a path to citizenship for some immigrants. Trump ordered GOP lawmakers to reject bipartisan laws because he wanted to make use of illegal immigration as a campaign issue quite than solve the issue. They listened.

Harris said she would work with Congress to pass the laws protection of reproductive rights nationwide. But Trump boasts that he appointed three Supreme Court justices who joined conservatives already on the court to overturn a 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. And now, 25 million women live under Trump’s abortion bans and restrictions.

The vp does proposed policies Down maintain the kid AND health care cheaper, including increased tax relief for parents of minor children. Trump has senselessly said his tariffs would make childcare cheaper and he claims “plan concepts” replace the Affordable Care Act, also often called Obamacare.

Harris pledged to guard and develop voting rights. Trump desires to make it harder to vote by imposing latest restrictions. If he lost, he didn’t agree to simply accept the election results.

The vp would do it take motion spurring the development of three million latest homes and apartments and would give first-time homebuyers a $25,000 tax credit to assist them with their down payments. It would create a $40 billion fund to assist local governments construct reasonably priced housing. claims Trump deportation of thousands and thousands of illegal immigrants will release their homes for latest tenants, but economists disagree that this may solve the reasonably priced housing shortage because as many as a 3rd of employees constructing reasonably priced homes are illegal immigrants. Without their work, there will likely be no latest homes.

Harris wants to cut back a part of the $1.6 trillion in federal student debt owed by greater than 40 million Americans. Trump doesn’t. Harris wants to extend aid for K-12 education. Trump he said desires to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, which provides much of this aid.

Harris would help Americans start small businesses increasing the deduction for startup expenses from the present $5,000 to $50,000. Trump is concentrated on helping large corporations.

Harris wants to guard us from getting worse hurricanes, tornadoes AND droughts attributable to climate change, which is accelerating attributable to fossil fuel emissions. She wants reduce fossil fuel emissions and increase clean energy production. Trump wants to extend fossil fuel emissions by increasing production of oil, natural gas and coal.

Black Americans, like everyone else, want an America that’s fair and equitable and provides us all a likelihood to succeed. Harris will give this to all Americans because he cares about us and loves our country. Donald Trump won’t do this because he only cares about himself, making as much money as possible, staying out of jail, and arming the federal government to punish anyone who dares to criticize him.

For all these reasons, we want Kamala Harris to be our next president. She desires to spend the subsequent 4 years working to enhance our lives, but she will only do this if we take a short while to vote to place her within the Oval Office and make her our chief public servant.