Staying Focused During a Distracting Week 🥴

A few tips for navigating Election Week

Well, folks, the election is upon us! In mere hours Americans will head to the polls and I mean this sincerely when I say the world is watching.

I’ve been mentally preparing for this week for months. Knowing that it could take days before we have official results, and that there could be weeks or months of tension to follow means we could be at the starting gate more than the finish line (please, no).

And unfortunately weeks like this can take a toll on our focus and productivity! There’s just no way around the fact that many of us are on pins and needles waiting to see how this election will turn out and a big chunk of our mental capacity is currently occupied by polling numbers and swing states.

So here are just a few practical strategies I rely on to decrease stress and help myself stay focused during a distracting week.

💦 Stay Hydrated

Being hydrated helps dilute all the fluids in our body, helping to lessen the impact of stress hormones. Drinking a little water will help, I promise.

🚶🏻‍♀️ Go for a Walk

Try to find an area you can walk with minimal distractions and consider skipping headphones and letting your mind wander.

😤 Try Box Breathing

This simple exercise slows your breathing so your body feels safe: inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and repeat. While you’re doing this, you want your belly to fill and expand outward on the inhale, and contract inward on the exhale. Your chest should not move (if your chest is moving, you’re likely taking short, shallow breaths which can amplify anxiety).

🤝🏻 Grow Community

No matter how the election turns out, we all need to be organizing at the community level. Know who lives in your neighborhood and what skills or resources they have. Get together regularly.

🧩 Occupy your Mind + Hands

Pass the time with activities that occupy both your mind AND your hands — such as puzzles, cards, coloring, board games, paint-by-number or other crafts (I’ve already got my election-week-anxiety-puzzle 25% completed).

📱 Set App + Screen Limits

Avoid doom scrolling and try to take breaks from your phone. If you need to, set limits for screen time or specific apps to keep yourself in check.

I also have a little list of question I like to ask at the top of the week to help determine what I’ll prioritize and how I’ll use my time.

A Few Additional Resources:

Try asking yourself:

• If a doctor said you could only work 6 hours this week, what would you focus on to move your goals forward?

• What tasks are still possible for you to do when you’re distracted, upset, or stressed?

• What activities help recharge your batteries and when can you prioritize them?

Coping Tools For Stressful Times Printable

34.5KB ∙ PDF file

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Deep clean your brain:

Listening to this tone (852 hz) can clear your mind and leave you feeling focused, confident, and at ease. I won’t lie — I’m fully bought into it. It feels like I just deep cleaned my brain?! Give it a listen on Spotify (or google, ‘852 hz’ to find other sources):

If you’re in a more festive mode and need some tunes, I’ve also got this Get Out and Vote playlist that I created in 2020 but recently updated for 2024:

Do some affirmations:

Elections aren’t the only way to enact change. Swipe through these affirmations for powerful reminders of other ways we can shape the world.

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That’s all I’ve got! If you’d like these tips in a PDF format that you can print or share, you can grab the file below. Yay, Democracy! We’re rooting for ya.