Hi friends! If you’re like me, the collective fervor leading up to elections next week has started to seep into your mental psyche. I have this general weight on my shoulders and chest and know it’s because of the uncertainty of next week (and possibly beyond). I’ve been going about business as usual until earlier this week, when I realized I needed to do a little bit more to take care of myself.

Luckily, I have developed some good habits around dealing with stress and stressful times during my years as a community leader. 

I’m going to start calling it my PRIME Framework.

1. Pause: give yourself a moment to pause and realize what and how your mental health is being affected. In this case, the collective anxiety of a nation is palpable and just recognizing that helps to give yourself space.
2. Reflect: how have your actions been helping or hindering your overall wellbeing. I’ve been going about business as usual with busy schedules when really I need to slow down, and give myself extra time to just relax.
3. Investigate: what are all the issues at hand that are adding up to make things harder for yourself? Is it a combination of things you can or cannot control? For example, external factors like the elections may be out of your control, but what you schedule for the week can be within your control. Investigate to see what you can take off your plate when you’re feeling super stressed.
4. Move: this can be physical movement like exercise, taking a walk, or it can be moving around your to do list, your schedule, so that you don’t have so much to focus on.
5. Engage: when I talk about engage here, I mean with your support networks, friends, community. Engage in meaningful conversations and just reaching out to one another. I always feel better when I connect and engage with a friend or family member about how I’m feeling. It helps to dress up with a friend too 🤪👆🏻

I love this one because it’s nice to take a step back and think about the big picture. It’s necessary too! It’s easy to get stuck in the day to day, the to do lists, the head down, get work done mode… but we need to take a step back every once in a while to remember our vision or focus it. To think about why we’re doing the day to day stuff- is it getting us where we want to go?

Here a few ways to help you do this:

• Schedule Regular Vision Reviews: Set a monthly or quarterly check-in to review long-term goals. This time is for reflecting on progress, adjusting priorities, and ensuring that daily actions align with your vision.
• Incorporate Vision into Team Meetings: Start team meetings by briefly connecting back to the overarching vision. This practice helps keep the team aligned and reminds everyone why the daily tasks matter.
• Celebrate Milestones Along the Way: Identify and celebrate small wins that contribute to larger goals. This reinforces a sense of progress and helps everyone see the path toward the vision.
• Engage in Future-Back Thinking: Imagine you’ve already achieved your vision, then look back to identify key actions or decisions that helped you get there. This approach provides clarity on which current actions are most impactful.
• Take Strategic Breaks to Gain Perspective: Stepping away from routine—whether through a walk, a day off, or a team retreat—helps reset and refocus your mind on the big picture, often sparking new insights.

Have you had a chance to download my Resilient Leadership: 5 Daily Practices for Success Guide? I put this together sharing the practices I rely on as a mother of three, community leader, and small business operator. And it's free! Download it and let me know how it helps you!