Political conversations around the holidays can prove to be troublesome at some family dinner tables, especially with emotions running high over the presidential election this November.
Miranda Kramer, Youth Board Manager of the local nonprofit Teens4Teens Help, says she's seeing more young adults seeking help because of the election.
"It's the topic of the holiday," she said.
Voters who didn't see the election results they'd hoped for might be anxious knowing these conversations could be discussed at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
The answer? Kramer suggests setting boundaries ahead of time, walking away if the conversation isn't serving you, and practicing breathing techniques such as box breathing
"I think if everyone came with a few talking points about Thanksgiving, what they're grateful for, a TV show they might be interested in or a podcast, a place they want to volunteer at or where they're going volunteering at, and just kind of keep it more focused on positive things that you could just avoid talking about the election altogether," Kramer said.
“Just eat," local resident Shannon Hetrick added. "You give thanks, you eat and then can leave it at that. People who want to discuss it, sure. But if you don't, then go watch football.”
More coping skills and mechanisms from Teens4Teens Help can be found here.
