PSA: Unclench Your Jaw
Happy Election Day! Are you stressed? I am feeling levelheaded, calm, and totally at peace. Hahahaha just kidding. If you are anything like me, you are currently holding tension in every inch of your body. Some people may tell you to relax by doing yoga, limiting your social-media time, or cooking a complicated chili. With respect: No. But there is one low-lift thing we can all do to get some relief from election anxiety: unclench our jaws.
You are probably clenching your jaw right now. According to experts, your teeth are not supposed to be in contact with one another all day. Stress and anxiety are two of the most common causes of jaw-clenching and teeth-grinding, which can cause symptoms like headaches; face, ear, and neck pain; and even cracked teeth or tooth sensitivity. Doctors saw a huge spike in jaw-clenching during the pandemic, months that were famously rife with anxiety.
Long-term treatments include mouth guards, Botox, and generally living a less stressful life, but there are also things you can do today for more immediate relief. Bad posture can increase strain on the jaw muscles, so while it feels crazy to think about sitting up at a time like this, it actually might make you feel more comfortable. Deep, intentional breathing can also help relax your muscles.
You can also do lots of funny little jaw exercises to loosen things up, like opening and closing your mouth while touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth or tucking your chin a bunch of times. One of my colleagues recommended opening your mouth very wide and wiggling your tongue around, which has the added benefit of some much-needed catharsis. Do it. Do it now!
Do you feel better? If not, keep opening, wiggling, shimmying, and generally moving your mouth and body in whatever way might shake loose a tiny bit of tension. It’ll be helpful when you hit hour six of MSNBC.
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