2019-04-26
The experience of volunteering on an election campaign is extremely rewarding – but it could also be challenging. The Greens’ National Campaign Manager shares some tips on how volunteers can practise self-care over the coming few weeks.
By Andrew Beaton
If you’ve decided to get involved with the Greens in our biggest election campaign ever, congratulations – you’re playing a really important role in helping us to shake up politics and build a future for all of us.
Because our party is powered by people, our amazing volunteers are the lifeblood of the party – especially during an election campaign. We genuinely couldn’t do this without you!
The experience of working on an election campaign will likely be transformative, rewarding, possibly addictive and incredibly satisfying.
But it will also be demanding, and challenge you in ways you might not be prepared for.
That’s why it’s really important to take care of yourself over the next few weeks – both during the highs and the inevitable lows.
Here are nine top tips on how to do it:
1. Focus on your motivations and goals
In the midst of a stressful election campaign – especially when you may need to do things that are less fun, frustrating, or feel futile – it can be helpful to think back on what motivated you to get involved with the Greens in the first place. What’s important to you about this election?
On top of that, getting clear about the wider campaign goals – as well as your personal goals – can help keep you motivated when things get a little tough. What do you want to get out of this campaign? What skills do you want to develop? Refer back to these if you start feeling stressed or feel like you’re questioning why you’re doing this.
2. Be realistic
There’s no two ways about it: election campaigns are always challenging.
Election campaign hype can be very stimulating and lead to overly high expectations, so it’s important to keep them in check.
It’s a matter of giving it your best, while inwardly protecting yourself. Keep some perspective!
3. Manage your time well
During the campaign, there are likely to be numerous tasks and decisions flying at you – many of them urgent and important. That means planning and prioritising can make a big difference to what you manage to achieve, as well as your stress levels.
A to-do list can be a really effective way of staying on top of tasks. You can also rank tasks by number in order of priority to help you determine which are more urgent.
Some questions to ask yourself when prioritising tasks:
• How does this task impact on the campaign, or relate to our goals and objectives?
• Who is impacted by this task?
• What will happen if I don’t do this?
• Can someone else do this task? What do they need in order to do this?
4. Stay on top of stress
Though stress is a normal part of life, it’s possible you’ll experience times of particularly high levels of it during the election campaign.
That’s because when there are lots of demands and not enough time, we can find ourselves in a high-adrenaline, fight or flight condition. We can neglect our basic self-care needs, which can lead to physical illness, exhaustion and emotional meltdown.
It’s therefore important to ensure you’re eating healthy food, getting regular exercise, breathing deeply, making time for relaxation, seeing friends and loved ones, and prioritising a good night’s sleep.
And an important thing to remember when things get particularly stressful: the election campaign is time-limited – this particular stress will not last forever!
5. Learn how to handle criticism and conflict
Like all parties, the Greens are subject to attacks during campaigns. And as a campaigner or volunteer, you’re representing the Greens – which means you may be a target for this criticism.
Often, people engage in attacks or criticism to make competing candidates and parties look better, to make themselves feel better, to cause a fuss or to get a reaction out of you.
The key thing to remember if this happens to you? Don’t take it personally.
The best way to deal with detractors is to remain calm, polite and know the policies as well as you can. Model how you’d like to be treated and act consistently with Greens values by not retaliating.
You might also experience conflict with your fellow volunteers and campaigners – the stressful situations you’ll be dealing with can make emotions run high. Wherever possible, conflict or grievances should be addressed promptly and directly with the people involved. Don’t allow things to fester or become ongoing divisions in your team, and try to debrief about conflict outside of your campaign team.
6. Rally your support network
Volunteering for a federal election campaign can be a full-on experience – one during which you may need support from the people in your life.
Having your loved ones around you to cook dinner, babysit your children or listen to you at the end of a hard day can make a huge difference. Let them know why you’ve made the decision to volunteer, what it means for you over the campaign period, and what it would mean to you to have their help.
And you don’t need to guilt-trip people – just ask!
7. Make space for the campaign
The campaign will take a lot of time and energy. That means that if you expect yourself to do everything else you normally do as well, you’ll run yourself into the ground.
Consider what could be put on hold until after the election, be done by others, or simply not get done, so you can prioritise your campaign commitments.
If necessary, take time off work, defer study, or get extensions on deadlines. Let friends and family know that you may be less available at this time, and why you’ve made this decision. And don’t forget practical time-savers, like batch cooking and freezing leftovers – it can save time in the evenings for campaign work or having a well-deserved break.
8. Learn to switch off
After a busy day on the campaign trail, it can be hard to wind down, relax, and get a good night’s sleep.
Try building some activities in to your day to manage this. Here’s some ideas:
• Shift gears: Try developing an intentional transition from public campaign time to personal time. This could be a physical journey, like the drive or bike ride home. Have a shower, and imagine the day’s worries washing off you and going down the drain.
• Keep a journal: Write down what happened in the day; make a list of what went well (big or small); note any niggles or worries; write a list of things you need to do tomorrow (so you don’t keep thinking about them). Write about your feelings, your hopes and fears.
• Exercise: This is the most effective way to release adrenaline and shift your mood. A walk around the block, a swim at the local pool, some stretches... whatever works for you.
• Have fun: Take a break from seriousness! Be silly with friends. Watch some trash on TV. The internet is full of wonders but don’t get caught in the vortex.
• Talk it out: Have a ‘download’ about your day with friends or family, including the struggles and triumphs. You may want to set a time after which you stop talking about the campaign – to give your mind a rest, and out of consideration to those around you!
• Meditate: An excellent way to clear your mind and experience deep relaxation. If you’re not a practiced meditator you may find guided relaxations useful.
9. Debrief and wind down
Once the election is over, you’ll (hopefully) be riding a high like no other – but you might also be dealing with disappointment.
Either way, you’ll likely feel a range of emotions. They’re all natural and normal – but the trick is to find appropriate ways to express these feelings.
Take some time to debrief and talk through your experiences. Find someone you trust who is a good listener and ask if they’d be willing to listen to you vent or share your thoughts. Set clear parameters around the conversation, too – flag anything confidential, or let the person know if you’re looking for advice or just to listen.
Andrew Beaton is the Australian Greens’ National Campaign Manager.