Election years are hard on everyone, but especially those who work in politics. The lasting effect of the pandemic still impacts grassroots programming and work-life balance. We’ve gathered the input of our team for some self-care tips to get us all through the election season.
1. Have an end-of-workday ritual.
The boundary between work and home gets blurred when you’re working from home. One thing that helps establish and keep a boundary is to have a daily ritual that signifies work is done. Some ideas include making a cup of calming tea, changing into workout or comfy clothes, or starting to cook dinner.
2. Give your eyes a break from the screen.
When you finish with work, it can be tempting to scroll through TikTok to relax. And it’s not necessarily bad, but when you’re looking at a screen all day, blue light takes a toll on your eyes. Set your phone to switch to an orange-tinted night time setting, invest in blue light glasses, or simply choose to have phone-free meals or book time.
3. Schedule focus time.
It’s hard to accomplish projects when you’re jumping between meetings all day. Be ruthless with your calendar. Set yourself as busy for an hour at your favorite time of day so that you can have an uninterrupted session to get things done.
4. Schedule breaks.
Remember how we said to be ruthless with your calendar? You don’t have to dedicate every moment 8AM-5PM to work. It should be standard to take a few 15’s throughout the day. Value your time enough to take your lunch break instead of eating while working.
5. Meditate.
Meditation is in pretty much every self-care list, isn’t it? That’s because it works.
“When I meditate, I feel like I can make decisions from a place of calm and centeredness for the rest of the day,” says The Colibri Collective Copywriter Genevieve Leach.
That’s a crucial skill to have during the fast-paced election season.
6. Stay hydrated.
Drink water, whether you like a cup with a straw, a glass, or a bottle; ice or no ice; huge jug or 8oz at a time. Find out what gets you to drink water consistently throughout the day and do it. And while you’re at it, you should probably have a snack too. Thirsty and hangry is not a good place to be.
7. Get moving.
Even simple things like a walk after work or first thing in the morning can clear your mind for a much-needed break. If you’re lucky enough to live near a nature area, try for a hike. Or, like our leadership team, form a crew of industry folks to go biking with once a week. Involving others makes exercise a more joyful and social activity.
8. Seek support.
Therapy. Friends. Family. Whatever the case may be, everyone needs support. Don’t ever be afraid to reach out.
That wraps up our top tips for election season. Stick around at our social media platforms to hear the podcast we’re publishing for Mental Health Awareness Month. And remember, mental health is just as important as physical health.