Things you can do to make a positive difference if you're feeling disheartened by the election results
Boris Johnson won a landslide victory in the general election, with the Conservative party achieving 43.6 per cent of the nation's vote.
But not everyone is pleased with the result, including 32.2 per cent of people who voted for the Labour Party (approximately 10.29 million people) or the combined 18 per cent who voted for either the Liberal Democrats, SNP or Green Party.
People took to social media to vent their disappointment and frustration. “There goes the neighbourhood,” tweeted Hugh Grant, who promoted tactical voting in the weeks leading up to the election, while pro-Labour singer Lily Allen wrote: “We need to start taking this seriously.”
Some expressed their fears for the next five years, highlighting the impact that further Conservative austerity measures could have on vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities, living in poverty, and the homeless.
But others have been using their social media platform as a call to action: to encourage people, disillusioned or concerned by the result, to make a positive difference in their communities.
Chartered psychologist Suzy Reading tells The Independent, when people are feeling “disempowered and disillusioned”, finding “a personal sense of power” can be an uplifting course of action.
Regarding the result, she says: “I think there’s a real sense of incongruence with a lot of people’s values, and that can be very depressing".
And says it is important for people “to articulate and get in touch with their own personal values, to consider what their strengths are, to look for ways that they can embody those in everyday life and to create change within their own spheres of influence”.
This may involve doing things such as volunteering with local organisations, donating to charity or simply speaking with your loved ones and articulating how you are feeling.
Here are some things that you can do to make a positive difference, particularly if the election has left you in a disheartened state:
Donate to charity
There are plenty of people in need of monetary or material donations, especially as the temperatures continue to drop this winter.
In April, it was reported that the UK’s biggest foodbank network, the Trussell Trust, had distributed 1.6 million packs of food supplies in the preceding 12 months, an annual increase of 19 per cent.
The Trussell Trust states on its website that its aim is to “end poverty and hunger in the UK”, and outlines different ways that people can get involved.
These include making a one-off monetary donation, becoming a regular donor or donating food supplies to a local foodbank or at a supermarket collection point.
One Twitter user highlighted an app called Foodbank, which allows you to find your local foodbank and see what food supplies they need.
Anyone gripped by a sudden, urgent, “what can I do?” – can I tell you about a (free) app called Foodbank? Once downloaded, you can select your local foodbank & see their shopping list (including what’s urgently needed & what NOT to buy) regularly updated in real time.
— Uncanny Ally (@UnheimlichManvr)
Foodbank explains that organisations who use the app can illustrate their supply levels by showing the items that are urgently required in red, the items that are in short supply in orange and the items that are well-stocked in green.
On The Salvation Army‘s website, you can source local clothing banks, where you can donate items of clothing you no longer want to keep.
You can also donate to crowdfunding platform Beam, which supports homeless women and men as they embark on new careers, helping to place them in stable work placements.
Volunteer
Another way that you can make a positive difference is by lending you time to volunteer for a worthy cause.
“I’m feeling really sad about the result but I am going to channel this feeling,” one person tweeted about the election.
“I will volunteer for my local food bank, support local charities that help the homeless and join a befriending scheme for vulnerable people.”
Another person added: “Whether you are ecstatic or despondent about the general election result, why not choose to do something amazing tomorrow... volunteer, change lives, support your community.”
I work for a vulnerable young women’s charity who support young women aged 11-25 with mental health issues, rape victims, homeless women, young girl gangs, women in crisis and refugees and we’re ALWAYS looking for volunteers!! Please do your bit after this monstrosity https://t.co/4S0LsoZoZd
— Em (@emilyshires)
The Refugee Council states on its website that it is “always looking for volunteers in London, Yorkshire and Humber, the West Midlands and the East of England” to commit to at least one day or one session per week for a minimum of three months.
“The Refugee Council exists to support refugees in the UK,” the organisation states. “You can help ensure they are treated fairly and live with dignity by volunteering.”
If you would like to find a volunteering position close to where you live, you can source one by entering your postcode on the Volunteering Matters website.
Brighten someone’s Christmas
Aside from the general election, this time of year can be particularly difficult for people who have lost loved ones or are spending Christmas alone.
“This is a tough time of year for a lot of people without political chaos. It’s such a squeeze. We’re pulled in different directions on so many fronts,” Reading states.
“For people who have lost loved ones, it’s a really tough time. There may be a heightened sense of isolation, alienation and loneliness. So that coupled with the political landscape – it’s a really challenging time for a lot of people.”
Helping out with organisations such as Age UK can provide elderly people who are experiencing loneliness with some much-needed company.
Another group in need of help and support are the homeless: 2018 statistics from homeless charity Crisis showed 61 per cent of the British population feel angry, upset or frustrated at the state of homelessness in the UK, but don’t feel as though they can do anything to help.
To read about how you can help the homeless at Christmas, from contacting local services to taking part in fundraising events, click here.
Communicate with others
Articulating how you are feeling and communicating with others is essential in taking care of yourself and demonstrating compassion for others, Reading explains.
“There has to be the time and space for people to feel what they feel. Sometimes when we’re feeling disillusioned, we’re at a loss of what we can do. We need to just give ourselves a little bit of time to lick our wounds. To sit, reflect and think about what we can personally do to make a difference,” the psychologist states.
“It doesn’t have to be grand, elaborate acts, it can be volunteering at your kid’s school, taking care of neighbours, it can be very simple things. It can be just looking for ways that we can be compassionate and kind and inclusive and communicating our care for people.”
Regulate your time on social media
Considering so many of us rely on social media for the latest breaking news and commentary on world events, it can be easy to find yourself lost in the scroll.
“I think people need to be very careful with their visual diet,” Reading says. “We’re aware of what we eat, but let’s be aware of what we’re reading and the sources that we go to.
“One of the pieces of advice that I give to my clients is just check in with your mood before you hop on social media. If you’re feeling low, is there something else that could be a better use of that time?”
Reading adds that if a person is already feeling “disillusioned and energetically low”, then they should try to fill their downtime with “things that are nourishing”, as opposed to exposing themselves to “further depletion”.
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