Photo by Kristen Hare

Unlock your jaw. Lower your shoulders. Roll your neck.

This became a mantra for me in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. These steps didn’t stop or fix any of the things happening at the time. 

They did remind me to be aware of how my body was holding it all so that I could let go of whatever was possible to release and get back to work/parenting/making it. 

I know you’re busy post-election day. There’s a lot of news, and that will be true for a good while. This newsletter is short today, but I did want to send you a reminder to take good care of yourself, your teams and each other. 

So if you haven’t already — unlock your jaw.

Here are a few more tips from some of my colleagues. 

• Remember the snacks. Alex Mahadevan recommends Uncrustables. “Loads of them.”

• Try box breathing. Kate Cox says “I swear by it.”
   
• "Give yourself space and grace," says Fernanda Camarena. "Make time for a palate cleanser—whatever works for you. Use it proactively. And remember to celebrate small wins, no matter how small they seem—they add up!"
   

• Take breaks. Scratch pets. “The news never stops, but you have to at some point,” says Tony Elkins. “Set mini goals and take 15-minute breaks between them. During your break stand up and walk away from your screen, interact with someone, give skritches to pets and drink water.”

How do you get through monumental news cycles? Reply to this email and let me know.

While you’re here:

• In U.S. News and World Report, read “Democracy dies without local news.”

• From Trusting News, check out this resource with language you can use to explain elections and election coverage.

• And from Poynter and PolitiFact, read our guide to trusted news websites and journalists to be following for election news.

   

  That’s it for me. That last election night I covered was 12 years ago at the election night watch party for Missouri Rep. Todd Akin. If you’re on the beat right now, thank you.
  
  Kristen