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State Department Held Stress Workshops After Trump's Win

'We can become paralyzed by fear'

AP
January 16, 2017

The State Department held stress management sessions following Donald Trump's presidential election victory, providing employees tips for how to cope with change so they do not "become paralyzed by fear."

The workshops, titled "The Emotional Transition: Managing the Stress of Change," were held by the State Department's Bureau of Medical Services on Dec. 8 and 14, just one month after the department's former boss, Hillary Clinton, was defeated.

"Change is an inevitable part of the human experience," an email invitation obtained by the Washington Free Beacon reads. "We can become paralyzed by fear or allow the experience of change to propel us closer to self-actualization."

The purpose of the post-election seminars, which were open to all Foggy Bottom employees, contractors, interns, and workers for the U.S. Agency for International Development, was to dive into the "emotional cycles" of change.

"Our perspective determines our outcome," the State Department continued. "This seminar is designed to discuss the impact of change; the emotional cycles some people experience when confronted with change, and tools to effectively manage the stress of change."

The biggest change coming to Foggy Bottom is the end of a two-term Democratic presidency. The invitations went out less than two weeks after Trump's victory, which shocked the beltway and left White House aides, government bureaucrats, and congressional staffers in tears.

The State Department's Employee Consultation Service sponsored the stress management events. Workers were given excused absence from their work duties in order to attend the one-hour sessions.