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25 helpful and hilarious tips for surviving a stressful post-election Thanksgiving.

Just when you thought you might have a little break from all the anxiety created by this election year, Thanksgiving has appeared on the horizon.

As if the holiday that already boasts extra-high levels of stress due to travel and cooking mass quantities of food wasn't enough, the divisiveness that's been caused by this election has polarized friends and families in unprecedented ways.

With less than two weeks for us to process our feelings (because the universe likes to torture us), many of us will have to face those loved ones across a dinner table with only a cooked bird and roasted root vegetables to protect us.


Wouldn't it be great if you had a handy guide to help you navigate the sticky situations that might arise?

Well, this year, you will! Upworthy reached out to our readers to find out how they plan to deal with uncomfortable political conversations when they arise at the Thanksgiving table. Hundreds of responses poured in, and we compiled the best ones for you.

Here are 25 ways people are navigating their Thanksgiving plans this year:

(Responses have been edited for length and clarity.)

1. "Focus on commonalities. Focus on positives. Plan topic ideas to bring up. Maybe ban political talk." — David Bishop/Twitter.

2. "Try to only say statements reasonable people should agree with: We need unity. People deserve equality and fairness." — Chris Blue/Twitter.

3. "Consider having a compassionate meal with friends instead. You don't have to go." — @Aviatrixt/Twitter.

Photo via iStock.

4. "For today, I'd rather have a good amicable relationship with them than be 'right' or 'win.' Because for a while there, our differences robbed us of being able to come together as a family. So there are things I won't engage with them about to maintain my own peace." — Alesandra Nahodil/Facebook.

5. "Just don't go. Stick with people you actually like. I don't understand why people keep up toxic relationships just because it's family and you think you have to. You don't." — Michelle Edgar/Facebook.

6. "I planned to host it at my house this year, however, the last time my family was together they tried to tell me the holocaust was a hoax... so I'm volunteering to feed the homeless instead!" — Mary Jordan/Facebook.

GIF via "SNL."

7. "I think this might be the year to have those conversations. We need to talk about what is going on, on a very personal level. If you are concerned about the racial hatred going on right now, you need to show that to your people — your family." — Louise Woletz-Hinz/Facebook.

8. "Kindly explain to them that they've been duped by a racist narcissist sociopath who will conspire with elites to make their condition worse." — Christopher R Walker/Twitter.

9. "Let the grandkids lecture the grandparents. It's devastatingly effective." — Hesiod Theogeny/Twitter.

10. "My plan is to simply not discuss politics at Thanksgiving. I won't bring it up and if anyone else does, I'll just leave the room." — Carrie Wiese/Facebook.

11. "Believe it or not, you CAN have healthy, functional and genuinely loving relationships with people who you don't agree with...Your beliefs are your own, and you are more likely to change a person's mind about something by being kind and being able to lightly and politely discuss things without getting emotionally charged." — Courtney Jonnae Hogan/Facebook.

12. "When it's being pushed, I simply say, 'We know we disagree with each other. I'd like to move on.' It may sound like weakness to some, but I've experienced more peace that way." —Jenn Visconti Stegman/Facebook.

13. "My general thoughts are that listening is needed to diffuse conservative fear and anger." — Matthew Troy-Regier/Twitter.

14. "Anyone wanting to talk about the election has to participate in a Hamilton style cabinet debate. No one except for the Hamilton fans can pull off a rap. So I think we'll be ok." — Amy Napier/Facebook.

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.

15. "Listen underneath 'who the enemy is' to what they really want, what they are really afraid of...because that's where there's a lot more common ground than we realize." — Zahava Griss/Facebook direct message.

17. "Do what I do:
Cousin: You're an embarrassment to the country for how you've acted about losing the election!
Me: LOOK the dog is humping the cat ISN'T THAT INTERESTING?!" — Cara Siegel/Facebook.

18. "Don't take the bait. This is going to be my mantra." — @krista225/Twitter.

19. "No politics at family gatherings. Talk about what we're grateful for, outside of the political arena." — Lisbeth Pierce/Twitter.

20. "Step 1: open Scotch." — @aplayonsarcasm/Twitter.

21. "Make sure dinner is so delicious they never stop chewing." — Linda Salazar/Twitter.

22. "I think it's important not to live in a bubble and an echo chamber which we often see on social media...Sometimes you just have to listen. If someone starts being irrational, throw facts and data at them. Be as dispassionate as you can." — Jason Nellis, via phone interview.

23. "Money Jar. Anyone who mentions anything to do with politics or government has to put $ in the jar. The fines increase every time the rule is broken." — Nicole Piazza/Facebook. (Note: Consider donating the money to a good cause!)

24. "I am using the line 'I have my pen and paper in hand ready to write down all the great things he does for all the citizens of this country including the elderly, working/middle class folks of all religions and nationalities.'" —Sheryl Friedrichs Byrnes/Facebook.

25. "I plan to say 'Let's find something better to talk about it.' As the hostess, you totally get to drive where the conversation goes. I didn't spend all those years watching Downton Abbey and not learn about having parties." — Courtney Widney/Facebook.

GIF via "Downton Abbey."

Of course, there's not a magical Thanksgiving solution that will work for all families — every family is different.

What may work great for one family could blow up in the faces of another. And yes, many of these tips aren't serious because humor is often the best way to cope in times like these (see "SNL's" "Thanksgiving Miracle" sketch). Sometimes, it's the only the thing that can bring everyone together, if only for a few minutes.

You don't have to bridge the gap between family members with opposing views for this Thanksgiving to be a good one. It's just about making it through without incurring too much emotional, mental, or — god forbid — physical damage.

And if that means bowing out this year, that's OK too. There's always next year ... or four years from now.

Health

4 simple hacks to help you meet your healthy eating goals

Trying to eat healthier? Try these 4 totally doable tricks.

Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Most of us want to eat healthier but need some help to make it happen.

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When it comes to choosing what to eat, we live in a uniquely challenging era. Never before have humans known more about nutrition and how to eat for optimal health, and yet we’ve never been more surrounded by distractions and temptations that derail us from making healthy choices.

Some people might be able to decide “I’m going to eat healthier!” and do so without any problem, but those folks are unicorns. Most of us know what we should do, but need a little help making it happen—like some simple hacks, tips and tricks for avoiding pitfalls on the road to healthier eating.

While recognizing that what works for one person may not work for another, here are some helpful habits and approaches that might help you move closer to your healthy eating goals.

man pulling chip out of a chip bagOur mouths loves chips. Our bodies not so much.Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

Goal: Snack on less junk food

Tip: Focus your willpower on the grocery store, not your home

Willpower is a limited commodity for most of us, and it is no match for a bag of potato chips sitting on top of the fridge. It’s just a fact. Channeling your willpower at the grocery store can save you from having to fight that battle at home. If you don’t bring chips into your house in the first place, you’ll find it a lot easier to reach for something healthier.

The key to successful shopping trips is to always go to the store with a specific list and a full stomach—you’ll feel much less tempted to buy the junky snack foods if you’re already satiated. Also, finding healthier alternatives that will still satisfy your cravings for salty or crunchy, or fatty foods helps. Sugar snap peas have a surprisingly satisfying crunch, apples and nut butter hit that sweet-and-salty craving, etc.

slice of cakeYou can eat well without giving up sweets completely.Photo by Caitlyn de Wild on Unsplash

Goal: Eat less sugar

Tip: Instead of “deprive,” think “delay” or “decrease and delight”

Sugar is a tricky one. Some people find it easier to cut out added sugars altogether, but that can create an all-or-nothing mindset that all too often results in “all.” Eating more whole foods and less processed foods can help us cut out a lot of ancillary sugar, but we still live in a world with birthday cakes and dessert courses.

One approach to dessert temptation is to delay instead of deprive. Tell yourself you can have any sweet you want…tomorrow. This mental trick flips the “I’ll just indulge today and start eating healthier tomorrow” idea on its head. It’s a lot easier to resist something you know you can have tomorrow than to say no to something you think you’ll never get to have again.

Another approach when you really want to enjoy a dessert at that moment is to decrease the amount and really truly savor it. Eat each bite slowly, delighting in the full taste and satisfaction of it. As soon as that delight starts to diminish, even a little, stop eating. You’ve gotten what you wanted out of it. You don’t have to finish it. (After all, you can always have more tomorrow!)

colorful fresh food on a plateA naturally colorful meal is a healthy meal.Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Goal: Eat healthier meals

Tip: Focus on fresh foods and plan meals ahead of time

Meal planning is easier than ever before. The internet is filled with countless tools—everything from recipes to shopping lists to meal planning apps—and it’s as awesome as it is overwhelming.

Planning ahead takes the guesswork and decision fatigue out of cooking, preventing the inevitable “Let’s just order a pizza.” You can have a repeating 3-week or 4-week menu of your favorite meals so you never have to think about what you’re going to eat, or you can meal plan once a week to try new recipes and keep things fresh.

It might help to designate one day a week to “shop and chop”—getting and prepping the ingredients for the week’s meals so they’re ready to go in your fridge or freezer.

woman holding blueberries in her handsOrganic foods are better for the Earth and for us.Photo by andrew welch on Unsplash

Goal: Eat more organic/humanely raised food

Tip: Utilize the “dirty dozen” and “clean 15” lists to prioritize

Many people choose organic because they want to avoid pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals. Organic food is also better for the planet, and according to the Mayo Clinic, studies have shown that organic produce is higher in certain nutrients.

Most people don’t buy everything organic, but there are some foods that should take priority over others. Each year, researchers from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyze thousands of samples of dozens of fruits and vegetables. From this data, they create a list of the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” fruits and vegetables, indicating what produce has the most and least pesticide residue. These lists give people a good place to start focusing their transition to more organic foods.

To make organic eating even simpler, you can shop O Organics® at your local Albertsons or Safeway stores. The O Organics brand offers a wide range of affordable USDA-certified organic products in every aisle. If you’re focusing on fresh foods, O Organics produce is always grown without synthetic pesticides, is farmed to conserve biodiversity, and is always non-GMO. All animal-based O Organics products are certified humane as well. Even switching part of your grocery list to organic can make a positive impact on the planet and the people you feed.

Healthy eating habits don’t have to be all or nothing, and they don’t have to be complicated. A few simple mindset changes at home and habit changes at the grocery store can make a big difference.

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