🌱 Staying Grounded through Election Results
Part V: Our Southwest Swing State GOTV Election Roadtrip
Welcome Back! 👋🏼
In Case You Missed It: 🏜 Vegas Lights & Union Rights in Nevada
How are you feeling today? Regardless of how you voted (or didn't), Election Day can be a day filled with emotions and anxious energy. It's only gotten more so each year! Especially knowing we may not know the results for a few days or even weeks.
Grounding Practices for Election Nerves
The uncertainty will not be easy for most of us eager to know how our collective future will be shaped. One thing I know for certain is that we can expect the unexpected! Knowing that we have mostly done our part (call to help cure ballots!) by voting and organizing, the next few weeks will require lots of checking in with our emotions and calming our nerves. To help support everyone as we move through the election uncertainty, I wanted to offer some grounding practices that may help. Thank you to Taj Smith, Jennifer McFarland, and Kali Walker for offering your time and resources!
- Download our very own Social Media Care Pocket Zine! for practices and tips for digital care.
- Try this Comfort Shortcut tapping exercise for in the moment relief from Custom Made Change.
- Try the Collarbone Breathing tapping exercise for stress blocking to start your day.
- Practice simple breathing techniques like the 4x4 Breath Technique.
- If you’re feeling extra anxious, might I suggest a good secret dance party? Dance it out to our Resistance & Reciprocity playlist.
- Try Rooted Respite’s self-care plan worksheet for folks to download.
- Finally, just go for a walk! General movement can be really helpful for anxiety.
Community Resilience Against Misogynoir
I also want to remind us that the challenges we may be facing are heightened for Black women during this time. The misogynoir directed at Kamala Harris and Black women, in general, has been especially heightened as Trump fears losing. Listen to our podcast episode with Dr. Heliana Ramirez if you’re looking for tools to support the Black women in your life or if you yourself are a Black woman who would like extra support during this time. 💚
Community Care for Movement Folks
One thing that I believe strongly is that we need to rebuild our community practices again. Gathering has been mostly monetized, where it's hard to find spaces to gather without paying. Introducing my small contribution to reconnecting our communities and movements for long-lasting solidarity.
On November 14th, join Sam Chavez (Roots of Change Agency) and Taj M. Smith (Rooted Respite) for this special community support space created to help movement leaders process the aftermath of this challenging election cycle on top of the hard feelings brought on by a hard year.
During this session, we will:
- Share tools & techniques to help with stress and overwhelm
- Connect with fellow movement folks
- Help manage our acute and long-term stress collectively
Make connections beyond your organization and begin co-creating a movement that supports the well-being of the people working for change.
Enjoying our newsletter? Subscribe to get our resources and support in your inbox weekly. I created Roots of Change Media to help busy communicators and activists practice intentional activism through a decolonized lens.
Last Week's Flowering Deep-Dive
📚 Don’t Waste Your Ad Dollars | Tips for 2024 Fundraising
Strategies for Switching Gears
Whether it's a Presidential election or a fundraising campaign, it’s not always easy to switch gears after a big project. In the latest Set Yourself Up lunch & learn, we will offer tips for transitioning. Join us Wednesday, November 13 at 12:30pm EST/9:30am EST. Topics we will cover in the 30-minute session include:
- How to take breaks and transition to new projects
- Creating a process to evaluate post-campaign
- Setting up for the next campaign
- 🧰 Disinformation Messaging Guide - Disinformation has been rampant in this election and will only escalate after the election if/when the results are questioned by reactionary MAGA forces. The best defense for each of us is a good media literacy offense!
- 🤓 The Root 🌱 - Based on work from the We Make the Future and the Black Race Class Narrative Project cohort, this guide can be used by organizers responding to harmful content or disinformation targeting their audience.
- 📚 Throwing Cold Water on Election Conspiracies - we know that bad actors will try to sow doubt in the election results. They will often do this by pointing out normal things about the poll working and ballot counting process as proof of a wider conspiracy.
- 🤓 The Root 🌱 - Joe Cardillo has a great video on how to spot those lies and what the process actually can feel like.
- 📚 Wealthy Spent Nearly $2 Billion in US Election - According to the group, Americans for Tax Fairness, a group of just 150 ultra-rich families has spent a total of $1.9 billion to support presidential and congressional candidates. That's 60% higher than what billionaires spent in 2020!
- 🤓 The Root 🌱 - As the election results are counted and the process unfolds, remember that there are many wealthy people who are using their influence and wealth to shape our democracy. We need democracy reform to end Citizen's United.
And that's a wrap on this week’s newsletter! We hope you found this helpful in your work to cultivate lasting social change. Forward this to a friend and help democratize communications!
If you have any topics you want covered or have any questions, please reach out and let me know.
In Solidarity,
Sam Chavez
Roots of Change Founder
🌱 Seedling Member Zone
Leaving Reno & Reflecting on Our Trip
We wrap up the final day of our Southwest Swing State Roadtrip. Before heading on the road back home, I reflect on the trip and my takeaways. Find our latest videos on our 🎬 Quick Bites page.
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