Are you worried that today might be the last day of something that we in the U.S. can still recognize as "normal"?

In all seriousness, I wouldn’t worry. It’s going to be ok.

But as for the wish for “normal” – I’m not sure that’s a healthy one. “Normal” for many people in the US and world = misery. It didn’t start 4 years ago, and it won’t end with the election smoothly leading to your candidate winning and taking over.

I’d like to hope that we can all view the future as a challenge – one that we can take on without looking for “normal”, but looking for better. Things didn’t break 4 years ago. They were broken. And we can only fix them if we proceed without fear.

But again – just take a deep breath, go watch a movie on Netflix, have a cup of tea, and avoid the “news” on tv. It’s just going to create a panic.

My day has been one anxiety attack followed by another shortly thereafter. I am usually able to somewhat control my anxiety; but, today I’m somewhat out of control!!! I’ll be soooo freakin glad when we learn the actual results so I’ll know what it is with which I’ll be dealing.

Normal left 4 years ago. I pray for normal. I crave normal.

November 2, 2020

I understand your fear. I don’t share it, but I understand it.

I’m feeling optimistic. I believe that more people in the US now understand systemic racism is real and that something will be done about it.

I also think that we will work to combat climate change. This is the most important right now. Climate change is an existential threat.

I think relief for the student debt crisis will come. I believe something will be done about income inequality. I am hopeful that real legislation to end LGBT discrimination will finally happen.

I maintain my optimistic approach with a few tools. I watch zero broadcast news, which is designed to instill fear. I get all my news from reliable written sources. I can choose what to read and what to skip over.

I also meditate daily. It’s the most important thing I do every day.

If worse comes to worse, I have meds. Ha! Better living through science.

A little bit. I’m very nervous about the deteriorating mental health of the populace, going into the election. Anything’s possible really.

Like @hmmmmmm said, we are going to watch Netflix or something relaxing tonight, get up and vote in person and come home. Tomorrow may be a long day.

I’ve already voted I’m waiting to see IF my vote counted or not. I’m feeling much like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!!!

Yes, a part of me is. In the same way that I think the pandemic helped fuel the unrest in June following the death of George Floyd, I do worry that the way this year has been going, combined with what is likely to be a highly contested election, may lead to further unrest and chaos. Another part of me thinks it’s all overblown and everything will go on as usual.

I haven’t seen “normal” for so long.

I don’t worry so much about the election being the flash point for the dissolution of the country. That is something that creeps slowly and is yet gathering speed. The time is not ripe yet for panic. The thing to watch for is the growing civil unrest, and the escalation of countermeasures by government. To me it is essential that we understand that most of these problems arise from the current economic imbalance and employment opportunity disruptions as with the visible wasting of the middle class. Americans are no longer the long suffering people inured to hardship which defined us in the 30s. We are conditioned to having it relatively good, and depriving us of it will be guaranteed hell for those who profit from it.

I am feeling somewhat nervous. I just dropped off my ballot, and that felt good. I just hope my candidate wins is all I can say. I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the world or this country no matter who wins. But I am scared as to what will happen if my candidate doesn’t win.

A small part of me, but I have been groomed my whole life to assume terrible things can and will happen.

I don’t think the whole country is going to fall apart in a day. I do feel like I don’t want to go far from home on November 4. See what is happening around the country. I would not be surprised if there is some violent unrest in some corners of the country, but I really hope not.

My true gut feeling is overall things will be fine, and my hope is the scare tactics calm the hell down and maybe some of the extreme division and hate on social media will calm down too. If Trump wins it’s his last term, if Biden wins he is a single term president. Neither will have to cater to their base for political reasons. Of course, the problem with Trump is he does what he does also for ego reasons, he loves the adoration of his crowds.

I still trust the FBI and CIA to pursue what is right for America, that gives me some solace.

I will have my antenna up over the next several months, wondering if the country is truly deteriorating beyond repair.

I feel like the last four years have been a falling apart already. I don’t think the apocalypse is imminent but we may be in for some rough months and there will be pockets of violence – but that has already been happening. Maybe i am being naive but I don’t fear for my own safety personally.

I haven’t seen normal for 4 years.
If Cheeto McFatass gets reelected, 2020 will never end.

There’s a police firing range within earshot of me. They’ve been blowing off ammo for hours. Almost as if they are preparing for something.

Sleep tight.

I googled and in past years they said they practice a lot when Daylight Saving ends because they can shoot after dark without keeping the neighborhood up too late

I’m nervous because I can’t remember what “normal” looks like

Normal? Like SNAFU? Yes.

@filmfann Okay that one made me laugh!!

I understand and empathize with your fear. I don’t think it’s unfounded. But I believe the major changes we’re fearing have already long begun. The shifting and changing is already underway. What may have felt normal is dissolving and new normals are being built. Change is always scary and this may get scarier, I admit, but I really believe everything is going to be ok. Sometimes it gets really bad before it is okay again, but the pendulum always swings back.

I’m thankful for term limits. Even with damage being done, the guy I am not voting for can only stay four more years at most.

Terms limits means NOTHING to someone who refuses to play by the rules!!!

Last night I read an article about managing your worry and anxiety. It was mostly a rehash of self-help techniques from other sources. But I liked the advice to make a worry date with yourself and set aside a half hour every day to devote to it. The suggestion that caught my eye was to make a list in advance in order to use your worry time efficiently.

So I made a list, from big worries (post-election disturbances) to small (possible need for washing machine repair). For me, making lists has always been a way of ordering the universe and making it seem more manageable.

Amazingly enough, my list stopped at ten. Not that I couldn’t have gone on, but really, I didn’t take it down to things like overwatering a plant. The fact that there were only ten was genuinely comforting.

It also made me think of this quote from Stephen King:

“The audience holds its breath along with the protagonist as she/he (more often she) approaches that door. The protagonist throws it open and there is a ten-foot-tall bug. The audience screams, but this particular scream has an oddly relieved sound to it. ‘A bug ten feet tall is pretty horrible,’ the audience thinks, ‘but I can deal with a ten-foot-tall bug. I was afraid it might be a HUNDRED feet tall.” (Danse Macabre, 1981)

@Jeruba: I use a similar technique when I experience pain. I tell myself I’m going to feel this for ten seconds, and then I’m going to try to forget about it. So for ten seconds I feel it (“ow ow ow”) and then I say to myself “ok, we’re done.” Even though I’ll still feel the pain, I’m not indulging myself in it.

I think there is a lot of anxiety, fear of unknown. For me and for many others. I sincerely hope we can all remain civilized regarding what changes will come. I pray that we, the people will ultimately prevail. All that s necessary for evil to prevail is for GOOD PEOPLE TO DO NOTHING! That’s huge.

The police firing range was really noisy today (election day) in the afternoon with the sun shining. This was not Daylight Saving Time training. I think they are getting pumped up, hoping for a fight.

I am not otherwise pessimistic. I expect scattered incidents around the country from militia-type Trumpers acting out.

But police playing soldier makes me nervous.

@Call_Me_Jay Sounds like you need to just move if its that loud so often. I like guns but not constant noise. Yikes.

@KNOWITALL It is not often loud. Only yesterday and this afternoon.

@Call_me Maybe prep for civil unrest?

Prep for police riot. Militarized police cause riots.

I think the anxiety is just a replay of the great toilet paper panic

@stanleybmanly I bought a big pack today. But only because we were almost out :p

Well the World Economic Forum did hold an event called, “The Great Reset”: https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/ so you may be on to something.

Funny…it’s almost a week later & I’m still feeling like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I did have about 2 days of a peaceful, easy feeling before reality returned!!!