Running for a board position can be stressful! Here are some tips I use to make myself feel calmer during the election process…

1. Have your speech done at least a week ahead of your election

I found this tip to be the most helpful. Having your speech ready at least a week before elections allows you to practice, and not stress the day before. Having it done a week before also allows you to change or edit anything ahead of time.

2. Don’t stress!

I always find myself stressing before an election on silly little things. All I can say is don’t worry about it. Stressing makes you extremely nervous which can cause you to mess up in your speech. If you don’t stress about the little things that could happen, then they are less likely to happen!

3. Don't let your flame die if you lose

I know this isn’t really advice for running, but it's advice overall. Although this may not sound very encouraging, it's the biggest piece of advice I can give. Obviously you can be sad that you lost, but don't give up on BBYO because of one failure.