Rochester, Minnesota - Mayo Clinic resiliency expert Dr. Amit Sood says healing the wounds of the 2016 election is not only good for your well-being, it’s important for the country’s safety.

“If we are fighting each other, then we don’t have the energy to fight somebody else who wants to hurt us,” Dr. Sood explains. “So one of the best ways to get strong is to heal.”

Dr. Sood, author of The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-free Living and The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness, says real healing following such a long, negative campaign will need to include forgiveness. “Start by forgiving who may have annoyed us, what may have annoyed us, and look at ways to move forward.”

Dr. Sood says we must accept that real differences will continue to exist, and, at the same time, choose to focus on similarities.

“What brings us together?” Dr. Sood asks. “I think what brings us together is our passion for creating a better world for our children and a passion for creating a better country.”

Finally, Dr. Sood says, try to remain compassionate. “When you combine forgiveness, acceptance and compassion, then you can come together to rebuild a world, to build a country that you and I will be proud of and grateful for.”