On Monday, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. For some, it’s a highly anticipated day of celebration. Others have been dreading it—and would happily finagle a deal with the universe to skip to some other day four years down the road instead.
Why so much distress after months of processing the outcome of this divisive election? Many people are probably catastrophizing, experts say, a cognitive distortion that involves fixating on the worst possible outcome and believing it’s bound to happen. The thinking goes like this: “‘Oh my God, if everything is going to have to be that way, and follow that thread, then we’re all going to die,’” says Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director at the University of California at Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.
Yet that’s not a helpful or productive way to pass Inauguration Day (and all the days that follow). “I’m very far from the kind of excessively optimistic person who just tries to put their head in the clouds and pretend it’s not happening,” Simon-Thomas says. “But I do think it’s worth remembering that this is one moment—this is one four-year term, and things change both quickly and very slowly. That kind of perspective can diminish that sense of hopelessness.”
We asked experts to share their favorite science-backed suggestions for how to spend Inauguration Day if you happen to be dreading it.
Give back
The fact that Inauguration Day falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day—a federal holiday, granting many people the day off work—is serendipitous, says Anindita Bhaumik, a therapist and certified trauma professional in Boston. Take advantage of your empty calendar by participating in a local service project, she suggests. Volunteering has been shown to reduce stress and depression, boost happiness, and enhance life satisfaction, motivation, social support, and sense of community.
“The cause of anxiety is often a desire to control the outcome,” she says. “We can’t control the outcome all the time, but what we can do is control what we do: ‘I’m going to go to a shelter and brush a horse or bathe a dog, and that will bring me joy for an hour and help someone else. This, I can control.’”
Work out
Even if you’re not typically a gymgoer, consider taking a jog or hopping on a bike as the new president is sworn in. Research suggests it’s one of the most powerful and reliable ways to unlock a more uplifted, positive emotional state—not only as you’re doing it, but also afterward. “Exercise is a challenge, and you succeed,” Simon-Thomas says. “After people exercise, they just feel emotionally better, and of course it’s physically healthy and it’s an accomplishment.”
Plus, it can help you wrest back a sense of power that you might feel is missing on Inauguration Day, she adds. You might not be able to do anything about the new Administration’s policies, but you know what you can do? Fifteen perfect-form jumping jacks.
Get creative
Spending time on creative pursuits—like singing, painting, ceramics, or cooking—is an excellent way to “get out of your head,” Simon-Thomas says. “For those who have the impulse, ‘This is going to be terrible. I’m so angry, I feel so violated,’ or whatever unpleasant emotion, can you sit quietly and do something or marvel or wonder or be curious or just extend your mind into something aesthetic?” No one’s able to pay attention to everything all at once, she points out, and if you focus deeply on something like drawing a picture, you’ll have less space in your brain to devote to the day’s events.
Read More: For Better Well-Being, Just Breathe
One idea that might appeal to even non-artsy types: Make a vision board, suggests Julia Barzozza, a visual artist and sociology researcher in San Francisco. Brainstorm how you envision a peaceful, improved democracy: “For the queer community, it might be more queer representation; for BIPOC folks, it might be a different Inauguration,” she says. Then collect images that represent your vision, whether they’re your own drawings or cutouts from magazines or the internet. “The process is really about solidifying your ideas and getting clear on your perspective,” Barzozza says. “Once that perspective feels really solid and concrete, you should absolutely share it either on social media, with friends, or maybe up in your office.”
Do some forest bathing
Bhaumik just spent a week in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where she enjoyed counting the trees and observing their long, bare branches. She knows they’ll look different a few months from now, when green buds reappear, and again when their leaves turn yellow, red, and then brown.
On Inauguration Day, do your own forest bathing, Bhaumik suggests: Spend time in nature using your senses to connect with the environment. Even better, silence your phone while you’re doing it. “You’ll feel humbled,” she says. “This mountain is going to be there forever and ever, and you’re one human being standing here. Everything comes and goes, but nature is still there.” It’s an important reminder that trying times will eventually pass, she adds.
Spend five minutes journaling
Squeeze a short “brain dump” into your day, suggests Nicolle Osequeda, a therapist at Lincoln Park Therapy Group in Chicago. Set a five-minute timer and write down everything swirling around in your mind, no matter how scattered it might feel. Putting your thoughts on paper “helps reduce mental clutter and quiet spiraling thoughts,” she says. It can also help you identify patterns in your worries—which allows you to start brainstorming solutions. Osequeda likes ending journaling sessions with a simple affirmation: “I can take breaks from the news,” or “I choose to protect my peace.”
Go see a performance
Check the listings for your favorite local theater or concert venue. If anything piques your interest, snag tickets for Inauguration Day. Research suggests experiences that spark awe, like inspiring performances, boost your mood and lead to greater well-being in the moment, among other benefits. “Awe makes you feel humbled,” Simon-Thomas says. “It makes you feel connected to other humans, to the arc of humanity and human interest.” Instead of seething with animosity, “you can kind of back off from that and have a sense that we’re all in this together.”
Do something kind
Carve out a couple hours to write letters to friends—perhaps expressing your gratitude toward them—or take a gift to your neighbors, like a slice of banana bread. “There’s lots of evidence about the so-called ‘warm glow’, which is how your nervous system signals pleasure and reward when you see that something you’ve done uplifts the welfare of another person,” Simon-Thomas says.
Read More: The Daily Habits of Happiness Experts
Kind gestures also offer a sense of empowerment on a day when such a feeling might otherwise be lacking. It’s proof that you’re still able to do things that benefit your community, no matter how big or small: “It can reawaken that sense that, ‘OK, I can continue to move forward and advocate for what matters to me,’” she says.
Smile at other people
Your nervous system is wired to quickly ascertain whether someone is a friend, stranger, or enemy. Back in the hunter-gatherer era, it made sense to assume you were encountering a foe who might try to steal your food or take your land. That’s not usually the case in modern society, yet you might not be in the habit of smiling at people you pass on the street, Simon-Thomas says.
On Inauguration Day, challenge yourself to greet others in a friendly way. “Forming a smile expression makes you more poised to experience a positive state,” she says. “Sharing that with strangers and people in your community evokes a sense of collective trust and togetherness.”
Dance it out
Let the politicians in Washington enjoy their Inauguration balls. You’ll be busy at your own dance party. Make a playlist of songs that instantly boost your mood, Osequeda suggests, like Shake It Off by Taylor Swift or Happy by Pharrell. When stress creeps in, take a break from what you’re doing and dance like it’s going out of style. “Music shifts your energy quickly,” she says. Plus, upbeat songs trigger the release of dopamine and endorphins, while dancing relieves physical tension—all of which can help counteract anxiety.
Cry with a friend
It might seem counterintuitive, but if you need to shed a few tears on Inauguration Day, it’s healthy to let them out with one caveat: You shouldn’t do it alone. “The grace and speed with which somebody recovers from grief if they have an opportunity to cry with the support of another person—someone who they trust and who they believe cares about them—is orders of magnitude improved,” Simon-Thomas says.
Read More: The Science of Crying
While research suggests crying alone isn’t overly helpful, crying around others often leads to comfort, support, empathy, and stronger social bonds. “It’s really, really beneficial to have that emotion in an honest, authentic way, and to reap the benefits we’re endowed with interpersonally.”
Zoom out
Inauguration Day is a good time to focus on gaining perspective—and to decide whether you want to merely withstand the next four years, or treat them like an opportunity. Switching up your mindset can feel daunting, Simon-Thomas acknowledges, but it’s a great way to overcome feelings of overwhelm and hopelessness.
She recommends a mental exercise that can help you zoom out: Start by imagining a trail marker on a long, winding path. “Back out a little bit and go, ‘Well, where is that marker, and where is the trail starting and where is the trail ending?’” she says. You might even travel back in time and think about where the idea for the trail originated and who actually created it, clearing brush and heaving piles of dirt.
Doing an exercise like this can help put other situations in perspective and change the way you perceive them. “This kind of higher and wider and more global perspective makes the precise moment a little bit less heavy,” Simon-Thomas says, “because it’s part of something bigger.”
