What do councillors and elite athletes have in common? Both need to prioritise rest and recovery into their schedules to reach their goals and perform at their best. So what sets them apart? Elite athletes know that recovery is an essential part of the job. And those that reach the top such as gold medalists don’t only train hard; they rest hard. They understand that performance, decision-making, and composure under pressure depend on how well they recover between the big moments. For councillors, the same principle applies. Your work is high-stakes, public, and often relentless. Yet unlike elite athletes, few councillors treat recovery as a skill to be trained.
The mental load of civic duty, combined with employment, family, and community life, can drain even the most resilient individuals. Building small, intentional self-care practices into your week can make all the difference. Here are three recovery strategies inspired by high-performance psychology and adapted for the demands of elected life.
Decompress with breathing-based meditation
Council meetings are the place where councillors perform (a bit like the swimming pool or running track for athletes), Council meetings can also be mentally intense - fast decisions, competing views, and sometimes, late finishes. It’s common to carry that energy home, replaying moments long after the meeting ends. Remaining mentally entangled in the meeting prevents you from being present with those you live with and can cause difficulty falling asleep.
An intentional breathing meditation when you get home can help close that mental loop. Try this: once home, sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus on slow exhalations — in for 4, out for 6. Just five minutes signals your nervous system that the “performance” is over and it’s time to recover.
Optimise sleep with a body scan meditation
Sleep is the foundation of recovery and our overall wellbeing. During sleep we process information, consolidate memories, and undergo a number of maintenance processes that help us to function during the daytime. But after evening commitments such as community events or Council meetings, switching off and falling asleep can be hard.
A body scan meditation can help shift from mental activity to physical rest. This is a mediation that gently moves your awareness from head to toe. You can find guided versions on most meditation apps. Our favourites include
Insight Timer. The aim isn’t perfection; it’s simply to cue the body and mind into rest mode so you wake up clearer, calmer, and ready for the next challenge.
Know your personal ‘tells’ of stress and fatigue
Gold medalists track their performance metrics such as their heart rate, mood and sleep, so they can catch signs of overtraining early. Councillors can do the same by noticing their personal “tells.” Maybe it’s irritability, forgetfulness, or tension in the shoulders. The earlier you recognise these signs, the sooner you can step back, recharge, and prevent burnout. Knowing your tells is a form of self-leadership — an investment in the long game of public service..
Priorisiting time to rest and recover is a core civic leadership skill. Like athletes, councillors perform best when they balance effort with restoration. When you learn to recover well, you will think more clearly, lead more effectively, and stay in the role for the right reasons.
Our
Mindful Leadership for Local Councillors course is an intentionally curated collection of short mindfulness-based meditations to support councillors to recover from the demands of the role and restore their energy so they can continue to lead well.
We also provide specific mindfulness and stress performance
coaching at Locale Learning with our resident mindset and political wellbeing coach,
Anna Miley.
Connect with us today at contact@localelearning.com.au. 
