DALLAS (WBAP & KLIF News) — Tensions have been high since the results came in on Election Day, which means some of your relationships with friends and family who voted for somebody different than you may be strained.
Psychologist Joshua Hook said one thing you can do to help is think back to where the friendships started.
“Some of the things I think about are what has connected you to that person in the first place? Where can you find common ground?” Hook said. “What are your common goals? Common interests?”
Hook suggested simply not talking about the results with somebody who has different feelings about the election than you, because the conversations can bring up intense emotions that are difficult to suppress.
“If you feel like you can’t really engage with a certain person in a calm or relaxed way, I think it’s not a bad idea to just talk about something different,” he said.
He said it’s normal for people to have strong feelings immediately following an election, but that what determines happiness is rarely something caused externally, like election results.
To help eliminate those “Election Day blues” between you and those you care about, Hook suggested finding what brought you happiness before the election, returning to that routine, and, again, don’t forget why you became close to somebody in the first place.
“Focus on some of those things rather than the differences or what divides you,” Hook said.