Recalibrate and Recover: Using Mindfulness to Regain Balance Post-Election
By Amanda Levinson
It’s two weeks out from the election. How are you really feeling?
If you don’t know how to answer that question, you’re not alone. It’s common to feel disconnected from our true inner state following a period of intense stress and even burnout.
If that’s the case for you, I invite you to pause, right now. Close your eyes and notice your breathing for a few moments. Then take a quick scan through your body to notice how your body feels. Are there areas of tightness? Are you noticing feelings of fear? Are you relatively relaxed?
Notice what’s happening inside of you. Name it.
You’ve just experienced a few moments of mindfulness, which is often described as the practice of paying attention to the experience of the present moment in an accepting and non-judgmental way. The great Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh describes mindfulness as the practice of being fully present and fully alive.
After the intensity of the campaign, you might find yourself feeling exhausted and mentally scattered. Even in a “normal” election year, the intense, nonstop pace of campaigning can throw the most balanced people off-kilter, leaving you feeling disconnected from your inner stability. And this was no normal election year.
As a seasoned meditator who also ran a youth voter engagement campaign this year, I have found myself feeling unmoored in recent weeks. Anxiety, fear, and dread have been my constant companions. But thanks to my mindfulness practice, they are not running the show.
How does mindfulness help with post-election feels?
Through simple, intentional practices, you can reconnect with yourself, release built-up stress, and set a foundation for sustainable wellbeing moving forward.
Here’s how mindfulness can help you recalibrate post-election, and some invitations to reflect on how you might weave mindfulness into your daily life right now:
1. Grounding in the present moment: Mindfulness can help you move out of “campaign mode” and back into the present, cultivating awareness of what’s happening here and now, instead of staying in a reactive, high-alert state.
Reflection questions:
What sensations or emotions am I feeling in my body right now as I transition out of campaign mode?
What parts of my daily life have I lost touch with that I’d like to reconnect to?
2. Processing emotions: While election years are always emotionally intense, this year was especially so. Mindfulness provides space to acknowledge and process emotions that may have been ignored, reducing the risk of burnout or emotional exhaustion.
Reflection questions:
What emotions surfaced for me during the election that I haven’t fully acknowledged or processed?
How did the election impact my emotional wellbeing, and what emotions feel most present now?
3. Releasing tension in the body: Mindful body scans, breathing, and simple loving-kindness practices can ease physical tension accumulated during high-stress periods, bringing a sense of relief and relaxation.
Reflection questions:
Where in my body am I holding onto tension from the election season, and what can I do to gently release it?
What does my body need right now?
4. Rebuilding or establishing a self-care routine: Mindfulness encourages a gentle return to self-care habits, helping you reconnect with routines that nurture your overall well being.
Reflection questions:
What are three self-care practices I can reintegrate into my routine to support my recovery and mental clarity?
How has my sense of balance or self-care shifted, and what steps can I take to return to or improve it?
5. Moving forward: As you move forward, mindfulness can help you approach future work and challenges differently.
Reflection questions:
What lessons did I learn from this election season that will help me approach future challenges more mindfully?
How can I use mindfulness to sustain my energy and clarity in future projects and demanding periods?
Simple Mindfulness Practices to Bring You into the Present Moment
Practice these anywhere, anytime:
5 Senses Practice:
Name 5 things you can see
Notice 4 things you can hear
Feel 3 things you can touch
Notice 2 things you can smell
Notice 1 thing you can taste (or even notice absence of taste)
Belly breathing: place your hand on your belly, or lie face down on the floor. Breathe deeply enough into your body that you feel your belly rise. Follow the breath for a few minutes as it enters and leaves your body.
Mindful Walking
Take a walk and focus on the experience of walking. Pay attention to the feeling of your feet touching the ground, the rhythm of your steps, and the movement of your body. Observe your surroundings, name what you are seeing.
Do you have a mindfulness practice that really works for you? Drop some thoughts in the comments below!
And please plan to join us on Zoom on Thursday, November 21 at 4pm ET where we will go through some of these practices together. https://zoom.us/j/99232621294
Free Mindfulness Meditation Resources
Websites and Books about Mindfulness
Mindful: A good website with lots of articles about mindfulness
A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Wisdom and Courage in Any Moment by Spring Washam: A gorgeous, down-to-earth introduction to mindfulness
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh - A simple and profound guide to mindfulness from the renowned Zen master.
Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn - A concise and practical book with guided meditations to start your practice
Online Sanghas (meditation communities)
Amanda Levinson is a social entrepreneur, mentor, creative civic innovator, and embodiment coach. From 2016-2023, she was the co-founder and COO of NeedsList, a women-led tech startup focused on directing resources to communities affected by crises. She's a cofounder of Bill City Votes, a grassroots voter engagement initiative in Durham, NC, as well as cofounder of Voting Arts Lab, an arts-driven initiative inspiring youth to vote in North Carolina and beyond. She teaches mindfulness and nervous system regulation techniques to caregivers, organizers, and entrepreneurs. You can find her at amandalevinsonembodiment.com.
The biggest aha moment I had reading this was how much of these feelings I associated with the administration, not just the election. It's important to realize how long I've felt out of body and what it will take to recalibrate now.