Election Season Survival: How Pet Medicine Can Help Calm Your Anxiety
If you're reading this with a knot in your stomach, scrolling through election news while your pet sits nearby wondering why you seem so tense, you're not alone. About 73% of Americans report feeling anxious during election season, and this year feels especially intense.
But here's something beautiful: the remedy for your election stress might already be curled up next to you, following you around the house, or looking at you with those knowing eyes that seem to say, "Hey, remember me? I'm right here."
What Is Pet Medicine?
Pet Medicine isn't about giving your dog or cat anxiety medication (though if your pet needs that, no judgment here). It's about recognizing that the natural healing you experience through your bond with animals is actual medicine, the kind that doesn't come in a bottle but flows through everyday moments of connection, play, and presence.
Your pet isn't trying to fix your election anxiety. They're simply being themselves: present, accepting, and deeply attuned to your emotional state. When you align with their energy of calm presence, something shifts in your nervous system. Your heart rate slows. Your shoulders drop. You remember that this moment, right here with them, is safe.
Why Election Seasons Feel So Overwhelming
Let's be honest about what's happening in your body right now. Election cycles trigger our nervous system's survival mode because uncertainty feels dangerous to our ancient brain. Add in the constant news cycle, social media arguments, and the weight of "What if...?" thoughts, and your nervous system starts treating political stress like a physical threat.
Your pet, however, isn't doom-scrolling. They're not catastrophizing about the future or replaying yesterday's debates. They exist in what HeartMath research calls "coherence", a state where heart, mind, and body are in harmony. And the beautiful thing? Their coherence is contagious.
The Five "Paws" of Election Season Survival
When your nervous system is hijacked by political stress, these five Pet Medicine practices can help you return to center. Think of them as your toolkit for staying grounded while the world feels like it's spinning.
🛑 Paws 4 Connection: Touch Your Way Back to Safety
Time needed: 2-5 minutes
When election anxiety spikes, your nervous system needs reassurance that you're safe right now. Your pet's warm, steady presence is like a living reminder: "You're okay. I'm here."
Try this:
Put your phone down (yes, really)
Place one hand on your pet, one hand on your heart
Notice three things: their warmth, their breathing, the texture of their fur or skin
Breathe slowly and let their calm energy remind your body what safety feels like
This isn't just feel-good fluff. Research shows that petting an animal releases oxytocin and lowers cortisol within minutes. You're literally changing your body chemistry through touch.
🛑 Paws 4 Movement: Shake Off the Static
Time needed: 10-15 minutes
Election stress gets trapped in your body as tension, restlessness, and that "wired but tired" feeling. Your pet knows how to discharge this energy naturally: have you ever watched a dog shake after a stressful moment? They're releasing tension that we humans tend to hold onto.
Try this:
Take your dog for a walk, or have a gentle play session with your cat
If you don't have a pet, move your body while thinking of an animal you love
Stretch on the floor while your pet joins you (they love floor time)
Dance to one song while your pet watches (trust me, they won't judge)
Movement with your pet isn't exercise: it's nervous system medicine. You're literally helping your body process and release the stress chemicals that build up from political overwhelm.
🛑 Mindful Paws: Finding Your Heart's Rhythm
Time needed: 3-5 minutes
This is where HeartMath meets pet love. When you're coherent: when your heart, mind, and emotions are in sync: you make better decisions, feel less reactive, and radiate calm energy that actually affects others around you (including your pet).
The practice:
Heart Focus: Place your hand on your heart or rest it gently on your pet
Heart Breathing: Breathe a little slower and deeper, as if breathing through your heart
Heart Feeling: Think of a moment of pure love or appreciation for your pet: maybe when you first met them, or how they look when they sleep
Radiate Together: If your pet is nearby, sync your breathing with theirs and imagine love radiating outward from both of you
Pro tip: Do this practice before checking election news. Starting from coherence means you're less likely to get pulled into the anxiety spiral.
🛑 Paws 4 Tapping: Transmuting Election Stress
Time needed: 5-10 minutes
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) tapping helps discharge the stuck energy of election anxiety while your pet's presence adds an extra layer of safety and acceptance. Think of it as acupuncture without needles, plus unconditional love.
Basic setup (tap on the side of your hand while saying):
"Even though I feel overwhelmed by election stress and worry about the future, I deeply love and accept myself: and my pet loves me exactly as I am right now."
Tapping round (tap 5-7 times on each point):
Eyebrow: This election stress is real and valid
Side of eye: It's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes
Under eye: My pet reminds me I'm safe right now
Under nose: I don't have to carry this anxiety alone
Chin: I can feel worried and still be loved
Collarbone: My pet's calm energy helps me remember my own calm
Under arm: I'm choosing peace in this moment
Top of head: I trust that I'm exactly where I need to be
After tapping: Take a deep breath and pet your animal companion. Notice any shifts, even tiny ones.
🛑 Paws 4 Reflection: Getting Clear Through Your Pet's Eyes
Time needed: 10-15 minutes
When election anxiety clouds your thinking, your pet's clarity can help you find your way back to what actually matters. They're not worried about things they can't control: they focus on what's right in front of them.
Journaling prompts (write for 2-3 minutes each):
What would my pet want me to know about this election stress?
If I could see this situation through my pet's eyes, what would matter most?
What's one small action I can take today that aligns with my values?
How can I be as present and accepting as my pet is right now?
Alternative for non-writers: Simply sit quietly with your pet and ask these questions internally. Let the answers come without forcing them.
Creating Your Election Season Sanctuary
Your home can become a refuge from political chaos. Here are some simple ways to create more peace:
Designate phone-free zones where you and your pet can just be together
Create a daily ritual of connection before checking news (even 2 minutes counts)
Use your pet as a timer: When they're ready for a walk or meal, take it as a cue to step away from screens
Practice the "pet pause": Before reacting to political content, look at your pet and take three breaths
When Your Pet Isn't Available
Not everyone has a pet right now, and that's okay. Pet Medicine can still work for you:
Think of a beloved animal from your past or one you hope to have someday
Look at photos or videos of animals that bring you joy
Visit a local shelter or offer to walk dogs for neighbors
Connect with animals in nature: even birds outside your window
Remember: This Too Shall Pass
Elections feel permanent when you're in the thick of them, but they're not. Your pet knows this intuitively: they live in cycles, trusting that after every storm comes calm, after every separation comes reunion, after every tense moment comes the return of peace.
Your nervous system needs this reminder right now. Whatever happens politically, you'll adapt. You'll find your way. And you don't have to do it alone.
Your Next Step
Pick one of these practices and try it today. Not tomorrow, not when things calm down: right now. Your pet is probably nearby, wondering why you seem so stressed about things that haven't happened yet. They're ready to help you remember what it feels like to be present, to trust, and to know that love is always available.
Which practice calls to you first? And what do you think your pet would say about your election anxiety if they could talk? Share your thoughts: we'd love to hear how Pet Medicine is helping you navigate these intense times.
Remember: You're not just surviving this election season. You're learning to thrive in uncertainty, guided by the wisdom of creatures who've mastered the art of staying present no matter what's happening in the world around them.
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