Election Week Grounding Practices: November 2

As the 2024 election fast approaches, anxiety and fear continue to escalate around us – and for many, within and between us. Many of you have expressed how you are affected by this waiting time. The stakes for many of us are very high – it matters a great deal what happens at a local and national level. While we are waiting, and as we move into whatever comes next, it is important to remember to care for ourselves and each other. With gratitude to Rev. Laura Solomon for her work on some of these materials, we offer a simple daily practice to help regulate our nervous systems and stay grounded in our faith and values. 

November 2, 2024: Reading and Reflection 

First, center yourself with a breath. Then, read the poem silently to yourself. What sensations do you feel in your body as you read it? What emotions? Then, read the poem aloud – to yourself, to a loved one, to a pet. What do you notice as you read this poem again? What words or phrases stick out to you? 

Finally, read the poem one more time (either aloud or silently). What word, phrase, or feeling are you carrying with you from this poem? How will you use it to inform your day? Can it serve as a touchstone for you in a moment of stress or anxiety? Maybe you write your word or phrase on a post-it note and put it somewhere where you will see it regularly over the next few days.