New Zealand's 2026 election is done, but a candid round-up from NZ Herald Travel reveals just how rough the campaign trail is on the people running it - and offers surprisingly practical lessons in stress, sleep and self-care that any busy traveller can borrow.
The eating situation is chaotic. Act leader David Seymour's motto is essentially "take what you can get" - toast and coffee if he's lucky. Chris Hipkins, famous for his 2023 sausage rolls, has lost 10kg in 18 months and tried to build better habits this time, though some lunches still ended up being a pie and chips. National's Christopher Luxon copped to a McDonald's habit, while his wife Amanda says she sorts his meals when he's home between stops. Andrew Little's old trick: never leave the house without a solid breakfast - muesli, fruit, yoghurt - and carry a crunchy apple instead of reaching for his beloved caramel slice.
Movement varies wildly by personality. Seymour swims most mornings at Auckland's Olympic Pools in Newmarket, clocking 2.5km on a good day. Labour's Arena Williams leaned on yoga, but the day before the vote still racked up 15,359 steps door-knocking. Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan ran every morning - phone in hand, ready to sprint back if news broke.
Sleep is the first casualty. During the 2020 campaign, Andrew Campbell, then Jacinda Ardern's chief press secretary, rarely got more than five hours: bed after midnight, up at 5am to brief his boss. Others wind down with books - Coughlan read Campbell's own memoir, In the Room, on the trail; Opportunity MP Jessica Hammond reads fiction on an e-reader when stress keeps her awake.
The experts back up the anecdotes. Specialist GP Dr Bryan Betty says chronic stress raises blood pressure, suppresses immunity, disrupts digestion and boosts anxiety and depression risk - and warns the effects often linger after the pressure ends. His advice: deliberate downtime, real meals instead of grab-and-go snacks, and people to talk to.
There's a mental side too. Little's coping strategy is acceptance - "tomorrow's another day" - while Williams debriefs over shared meals with her team and, after the election, reset her nervous system at an Iron Maiden gig in Auckland. Hammond, who entered Parliament on her fourth attempt, warns of the post-campaign comedown. Campbell admits it took a serious toll on his body and mind - and, he confesses, he loved the adrenaline anyway.
Why does this matter to travellers? Because campaign life and intense travel share the same threats: irregular meals, poor sleep, constant pressure and little recovery time. The politicians' fixes - a proper breakfast before leaving, a snack you actually like, morning movement, a book to switch off, a plan for decompressing when you get home - translate neatly to any packed itinerary.
