Staying healthy during GOTV
Mid-August kicks off GOTV season in many places around the country.
It’s an exciting time, whether it’s your first campaign or your 50th and whether you’re the candidate, a new volunteer leader, or a staffer who has taken some time away from the office to help out on a campaign.
It also means adrenaline is pumping, new volunteers and commentators are coming out of the woodwork, free time is starting to be nonexistent, and you’re feeling the weight of weeks or months of work. The finish line may be in sight, but this final sprint is tough.
You might’ve gotten days off earlier in the summer, but by GOTV those are likely gone. However, you still can’t be all campaign, all the time.
Here are a few tips for how to manage stress and take care of yourself during GOTV.
Cut back on social media
Yes, you can.
Reading Twitter hot takes or fear-mongering about high stakes is not helpful. At best it will be annoying to see commentary from people not working on the election, and at worst it will cause skyrocketing stress levels.
If you need to be on social media for work, try to set clear time limits for how long you will log in for, so that you don’t just have Twitter open on background all day.
At the very least, do a social media moratorium the day before E-Day through close of polls. Keep your blinders up and stay focused on what you can control!
Be a self-care extraordinaire!
The phrase “self-care” is said a lot, but can feel ill-defined. That’s in part because it’s all about doing whatever it is that makes you personally feel healthy and refreshed. Some suggestions from our team:
Read a chapter of a novel before bed, instead of a phone (and go to bed early).
Watch some happy TV, like your favorite 20-minute sitcoms.
Cook or eat out with a friend (you can bring your phone - try not to look unless you’re getting a call - but leave the laptop at home).
Get your blood flowing. It doesn’t have to be a run or a workout class - some stretching, a few jumping jacks, or a walk around the neighborhood (alone or with a friend) can go a long way.
Pamper your skin. Do a face mask, take a long shower or bath with nice-smelling soaps, wrap yourself in a fuzzy blanket.
Journal or talk to someone about how you’re feeling.
Call or see a group of people you find supportive - like your close friend group, family, or spiritual community.
Don’t let your usual routines fall by the wayside.
Errands may not be exactly the same thing as self-care, but it is nevertheless important to maintaining your mental and physical health. Continue buying healthy groceries and favorite snacks, keeping up doctor’s appointments, hydrating, bathing, walking outside, and talking to friends.
Don’t forget about your posture, too! Especially with the rise of virtual organizing, craning over a computer for 12 hours a day is going to make your back, neck, and body very unhappy.
Easier said than done, but if you want to continue working on campaigns long-term, building these habits is important.
Block out your schedule
So, how do you make making time for yourself a reality?
A block schedule helps when every minute starts to feel precious. Try to fill in all the white space on your calendar - even if it just says “free hour” or “walk”.
Of course, the difficult part isn’t making the schedule, but sticking to it. Things will come up, but that means that the “laundry” block needs to be moved, not deleted.
A block schedule is most efficient when mapped over the course of several days at once, but here is an example day from the perspective of a field organizer working virtually:
Guilt-free “you” time
You might feel like it’s not ok to do these things when everyone around you is working so hard. You are a crucial member of the team and are committed to giving your best through Election Day, but it’s still vital that you - and all your teammates - take care of your well-being.
Try to let go of any guilt taking time for yourself may bring. If it helps alleviate that guilt, think of it as something you do to make sure you are the best volunteer leader or team member you can be for others.
Embrace the team
On that note - prior to the start of GOTV, think about how you and your team will work together most effectively. Share the work so that you can all stay as healthy and energized as possible. For example, it probably doesn’t make sense for every member of a regional field team to be at every phone bank. If you each captain 1 per day (and rotate roles, too - some tasks are more tiring than others) that makes time for all to attend to personal needs. After all, the point of a team is not having to do everything yourself.
There’s nothing like the friendships made on campaigns. Be patient with one another, hype each other up, and bask in the love! The best part of GOTV is that feeling of coming together as a team -- and the only way through is together.