CARE DURING THE ELECTION SEASON SELF-CARE STRATEGIES
COMMUNITY- CARE STRATEGIES
Limit the amount of time you spend on social media or the news. When you get the impulse to look at social media, count slowly to 10 and ask yourself: What am I hoping to get out of this experience? Let that question help you decide whether you still want to open that app.
Self-care is about the individual caring for their own basic physical needs, whereas community care is focused on the collective: taking care of people together, for everything from basic physical needs to psychological and even spiritual ones.
Set boundaries, cut ties with toxic individuals, and curate a positive or affirming social media feed. Engage in self-care routines - like exercise, nature, sleep, or meditation. Participate in a hobby that is totally separate from the election. When you lose yourself in process, art or any absorbing activity, it can be an escape. Surround yourself with positive resources, like friends or family who you can talk to. If you need it, ask to avoid talking about politics. Inhale for four, exhale for four. Count your breaths. Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. The simplest of actions, like enjoying a moment of silence, can help you reset your body and mind. Do some prep work. Take care of essential chores (e.g. grocery shopping, laundry) in advance of a stressful week. Set up your week to require the least energy from you. Be kind to yourself. Be realistic about what you have the mental and emotional capacity for right now. Ask your faculty and supervisors for what you need. Do you need an extension on a paper or project? Do you need to attend class with your camera off? It's okay to ask.
*Adapted from Reed College
Invest in relationships and friendships. Check-in with friends and community members. Ask "How can I support you?" Support mutual aid efforts. Share what you have - be that a car, time, extroversion, money, writing skills, empathy, art supplies, etc. Any and all of these can be incredibly useful in supporting someone in community. Lend a hand to someone in need – e.g. give someone a ride to the store, walk someone's dog when they are in a bind. Listen to others with compassion and nonjudgement. Educate yourself about systemic racism and respect the boundaries and spaces of BIPOC. "Community care is a commitment to contributing in a way that leverages one’s relative privilege while balancing one’s needs. It’s trusting that your community will have you when you need support, and knowing you can be trusted to provide the same." - Nakita Valerio
CAPS Election Support https://myusf.usfca.edu/caps/self-helpresources/socio-political-stress