INTERVIEW: Staying Sane in a Political Campaign
When you ask a woman "what makes you feel good?" it's an act of rebellion for her to answer with the truth.
So, we're part of the little ways each woman can care for her own moods. A scented rebellion, where we get to own our moods.
After spending more than a decade in the inner circles of major Canadian political campaigns, Theresa Lubowitz had seen hundreds of political staff burn out, battle with mental and physical illness, and throw in the towel for their own survival. She was tired of being a casualty of war on these gruelling campaigns. So, she stepped outside the inner circle and started her own communications firm - Lightbulb Narrative.
In the shadow of current US and Canadian political campaigns, Theresa opened up to tell us about what life in a political campaign does to your mental health - especially as a woman - why being an “outsider on the inside” of politics is the only way to thrive, and what she does to cultivate the moods that sustain her through major political campaigns.
First - Tell us about how you got into politics?
I grew up in a politically-minded family but became politically active when the conservative government of the day started gutting the education system I was enrolled in. So I joined thousands of teachers and other education advocates in protest on the lawn of the legislature. Even though I was just a school-aged kid, it was powerful seeing all those people come together and stand up for their values.
In high school, I kept up with national and international politics and protested the launch of the Iraq War. By the time I finished university, Canada was led by its first very right-wing federal government. I knew I had to get more involved. So I reached out to a local opposition campaign and volunteered as a candidate’s aid. Ten years – and a LOT of roles later – I left government as the Communications Director for the Deputy Premier and politics as a campaign speechwriter for the Premier of Canada’s largest province.
That's quite a rise from protester to Communications Director and speechwriter. What do you think are the most toxic elements of working on a political campaign, and how do these elements affect the staff and volunteers?
One of the most serious examples is sexual harassment, which is rampant in society at large and politics in particular.
With politics, you have a workplace filled with decision-makers who wield a ton of power over everyone else and who are largely older men. Then you have a broader team that is largely filled with young people with very little power in the broader organization who can sometimes get preyed on. Each campaign cycle I hope it will get better but it rarely feels like we’re making progress. What’s most disheartening is learning about new generations of political staffers adopting the same abusive behaviour because it’s what they learned during their first campaigns.
Then there are broader toxic elements in politics. The most pervasive of which is probably the tendency towards workaholism and the trouble that brings with it. In politics, you’ll often see staff clinging to their desks well into the night to prove their dedication to the cause. Or taking up unhealthy habits that might stick with them for life all so they can make sure they are at their desk when called on to pitch in. Dedication to a cause can be a great thing. But not when it derails your health, your relationships, or your sense of what’s reasonable in a workplace.
Is there a personality type you see thriving in the pace and toxicity of political campaigns? Or, does everyone appear to be suffering?
Working in politics isn’t all suffering all the time. You can build life-long friendships with people who become some of your best friends. You can also get a lot of meaning out of the work you do on behalf of the public. For that to be the case more times than not, I think you have to know who you are at your core and what values you want to stand up for day in and day out. When you have a good sense of self, it’s very hard to separate you from the reasons you got involved in the first place. And if you can keep those reasons in focus, the legacy you leave will help rather than harm your prospects when it’s time to move on to other things.
What advice can you give to the thousands of American political campaign volunteers working hard - right now - to help them stay on top of their mental and physical health during this presidential election?
I know Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz is a big fan of saying ‘you can do anything for 90 days’ and ‘we’ll sleep when we’re dead!. Both of those sentences have come out of my mouth more times than I can count. And I know he’s uttered them to amp his supporters up for the task ahead. But my biggest advice when it comes to protecting your health during a campaign is to find a way to sleep, and preferably not underneath your desk (I’ve witnessed this).
I know it’s hard to find time to sleep with how busy the campaign is and how hopped up you become on adrenaline. But it is the simplest and most effective thing you can do to protect your mental and physical health.
I once had a week in politics where I slept just ten hours the entire week while working 24/7, only heading home to shower before turning around and immediately coming back to the office. At the end of that week, after we had accomplished our goals, I started crying. I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t upset. I was just so tired my face started leaking all on its own.
During my time in politics, I was also eventually diagnosed with the worst case of sleep apnea the hospital workers who diagnosed me had ever seen. I spent years waking up every 26 seconds every single night, never achieving deep or REM sleep. The impact on my brain was profound. I have forgotten entire years of my life from that period and was beginning to lose my ability to hold conversations because I couldn’t locate even the most basic words anymore.
The other advice I would give is to just focus on what you can actually impact on the campaign; make sure to eat actual meals and have snacks on hand; and make sure to get outside for some fresh air (and I don’t mean smoking, something ‘fresh air’ has been a euphemism for on some campaigns I’ve been on).
My best campaign hack ever was buying compostable dishes and cutlery to use while eating grocery store pre-made pasta trays so that I had zero food prep or cleanup to worry about for the length of the campaign. Whatever you can do to decrease your mental load, do it. You still need to remember to pay your bills, though. I only ever forgot once.
Tell us about the pivot to opening your own communications firm, and how it has impacted your quality of life?
A big reason why I started my own company is because I grew to realize most workplace cultures are based on a North American addiction to workaholism as proof of one’s societal worth and that there are other, healthier ways of earning a living out there.
Most weeks I’m able to achieve a six-hour-day, four-day work week and am more productive than I’ve ever been. I say this as someone who was called a ‘robot’ in politics because of my relentless work ethic and ability to produce like a machine.
Some of the hobbies I lost to political life have grown back, I see my family more, I eat better and cook more, and I do it all at a slower pace that simply wasn’t possible before. I still have health challenges after putting my health last for over a decade. But my sleep is now so good that the cardiac specialist who treats my sleep apnea recently told me she’s jealous of the quality of my sleep.
What brings you joy in life?
Honestly, most things. Appreciating the world around me is something I’ve always prioritized while travelling in service of the belief that no place is boring; only your response to it is boring.
During the height of the pandemic, I started to go for walks in my neighbourhood and decided I should learn more about the natural world around me, even in an urban setting. I’ve always loved nature but as you get older, you sometimes forget to acknowledge it.
I downloaded the iNaturalist app and began to learn more about nature. This summer, I used the app to find my first trillium (and then a second) in some dark undergrowth next to a secluded pond about a 20-minute walk from my house. The whole world is miraculous when you decide to really look at it.
What makes you feel safe or like you belong?
My family. We are very close and have only become closer with the addition of two nephews.
What are some small ways you take care of your well-being?
I combine things I want to do with things I don’t want to do. I live in a 100-year-old building with pipes that can’t handle a dishwasher. I used to LOATHE doing the dishes. But now I put on the ‘Hidden Brain’ podcast only when I’m doing dishes and it becomes a very relaxing and enlightening experience. I also bought myself folding soaker ‘sinks’ to soak dishes in as I work on others. It’s really cut down on scrubbing.
While I actually do love exercising and cycling in particular, the act of starting to exercise is still a drag. Once I get started, I’m fine. So a long time ago, I selected a rewatch podcast of an old TV show that I’m only allowed to listen to while exercising. There’s no one around but me to enforce these rules. But somehow I never break them and get necessary things like cleaning and exercise done that ultimately help my well-being.
What is the one small thing you do that always turns your mood around?
Drinking water, showering, and getting fresh air. It’s amazing what hydration, clean skin, and fresh air can do for your mood. No matter how badly your day is going, it will get marginally better if you take care of the basics.
The thing that brought unexpected peace in your life was/is…
It’s silly, but beyond nature and hanging out with my family, the things that chilled me out the most lately were painting my living room to match the rest of my home and finally installing some cord covers over the power bar that connects to my TV. Never underestimate the psychic power of checking something annoying off of your to-do list. Mental loads are real.
You feel sexiest when…
I’d replace this word with ‘confident’ because I find that’s the most attractive quality there is in other people I meet. Confidence is different than being a know-it-all, a narcissist, or simply in charge. Confidence is about feeling comfortable in your own skin and prioritizing your own values over what others might want from you. It’s about being content with who you are. And that’s very attractive.
You feel most inspired and powerful when…
As I get older, more and more, I feel inspired when I learn something new and powerful when I impart knowledge to someone else. When it comes down to it, knowledge is really the only thing that has ever been passed down from every generation to the next.
Last summer I finally saw my first blue whale in the wild over a decade after my first attempt. My nephew knew about my quest and became interested in all things ocean-related shortly after. Now whenever he sees a whale in a book or on TV, he gets my attention and points it out. It feels great knowing that my excitement about something has created that same excitement in him. These are small moments but they’re also what really matters.
If you could give your 20-year-old self advice, you would say…
Mostly I think I’d tell myself to care about things just as much as I always have but also be willing to let things go that don’t serve me going forward. We don’t have to be tied to the past or death-march into the future. Life is very short and every moment we have presents us with a new choice about how we want to use it.
Other than your family and friends, the mark you hope to leave behind as your legacy is…
I was born in 1986. The average life expectancy for someone my age and gender is about 78 years old. That might sound like a lot but it’s just a blip in a universe that’s around 14 billion years old. In all of that history, this moment right now is all any of us is guaranteed.
Some who recognize that subscribe to the mantra that ‘you only live once’. I would add on to that ‘so make it count’. Each of us has an opportunity to serve the status quo we’re born into, improve on it, or actively make it worse for those who follow us.
Most of us will quickly fade from humankind’s collective memory once we’re gone. But the ripple effect of our actions will continue on beyond us and impact those who come after us. That’s something the philosophy graduate in me thinks about a lot. I don’t need to be remembered after I die and I probably won’t be. But I do hope the world will be better off because I lived.
Favourite things that boost your mood, right now?
I’m going to be materialistic for a second and say my record collection. I’ve had it for years but recently prioritized donating unused stuff in my cabinets so that I could carve out space for a vinyl corner in my home. I’d been eyeing the classic Boney M. Christmas album on vinyl forever and finally treated myself this week by ordering it. This year I won’t get burned as it goes out of stock at Christmas again!
You can continue to follow Theresa's work and life by visiting her website, LinkedIn, or following her on instagram.
Stay connected for a future video interview with Theresa, and hear more about how she continues to live authentically in her work with political communications, wellness, womanhood, sex, love, life, and everyday moods.