Therapists suggest group crying, ‘forest bathing’ to cope with Trump Inauguration Day stress: report
As the newly elected president Donald Trump As the inauguration approaches, some Americans are “fearing” a Republican return to office and feeling heightened anxiety, a new report says.
Time magazine reported Friday on 11 “science-backed” activities people can try on Monday to deal with their “a feeling of hopelessness” about the new administration.
Psychology experts and therapists have suggested a number of activities that could help those emotional about Trump’s return to shift their focus away from anxiety and gain a new perspective.
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President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on the west facade of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Emiliana Simon-Thomas, a psychology expert and director of science at the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, recommended exercise, being creative, showing kindness, smiling at strangers and going to a play. These activities can improve your mood, help you regain a sense of control and help you feel connected to others, she said.
Exercise can “bring back the sense of power you feel is missing on Inauguration Day,” the report states. “You might not be able to do anything about the new administration’s policies, but you know what you can do? Fifteen jumpers in perfect shape.”
Collective cry was another recommendation in the report.
“It might seem counterintuitive, but if you need to shed a few tears on Inauguration Day, it’s healthy to shed them with one caveat: You shouldn’t do it alone,” Time reported.
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Therapists suggested group crying with friends as a way to deal with their anxiety about President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Monday. (Getty Images/Stock)
“The beauty and speed with which someone recovers from grief if they have the opportunity to cry with the support of another person — someone they trust and who they believe cares about them — is improved by several orders of magnitude,” Simon-Thomas said.
Other mental health experts have recommended volunteering, journaling, making a vision board, dancing and “forest bathing.”
“You will feel humbled,” therapist Anindita Bhaumik said in a Time report. “This mountain will be there forever and ever, and you are one human being standing here. Everything comes and goes, but nature is still there.”
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Filmmaker and conservative activist Robby Starbuck mocked some of the strategies mentioned in the story in a post on X.
“’11 Ways to Avoid the Spiral on Inauguration Day’ includes ‘forest bathing’ and crying together,” Starbuck posted.
“1. Democrats are so weird. 2. Time Magazine is an absolute joke,” he added.
