Something you don't know about me is that I'm one giant oxymoron. I am a hypochondriac who hates going to the doctor. I remind myself constantly about not stressing over the little things, but guess who sits up until 3 in the morning, worrying about what tomorrows work day will bring? This girl.
At a recent doctors visit (a check up, I'm healthy!), I was nervously waiting for the results of my vitals. My blood pressure was 120 over 80. I was absolutely shocked. With the way that I stress out over work, how could those numbers even be remotely close to normal?
In today's society, thanks to instant gratification, I always feel the need to be constantly attached to my cell phone and my work email. I'm on my computer during normal business hours but then I find myself checking my email at night time, as soon as I wake up in the morning, while I'm chatting with friends, in line at the grocery store.
My job is quite literally deadline driven. As a once a month newspaper, the end of the month is always the busiest and craziest time with stories coming in all at one time, processing payroll, locating stories that have gone rogue, and making sure that the content is where it's supposed to be.
As organized as I am, sometimes I do tend to micromanage my writing staff. I'd like to explain that though. Communication is the key to any successful working relationship. Since all my writers are freelancers, they all individually hold the key to their freelancing success. Some of my writers turn in one to two assignments a month, while others take on upwards of 16 stories a month. We manage our content through a Google spreadsheet, where I am always updating deadlines, finding contact information for sources, and making sure that all of our publications have enough content to fill their respective pages.
However, I work best under pressure. I crave the sound of the clock. I sit up at night and stress out over my deadlines. I love how crafty our stories are and I can't wait to see the final product month after month. Sure there are rough days, but if writing wasn't my passion in life, where would I be?
Over Columbus Day weekend, I took time off. I actually stepped away from my computer and did things for myself. You know what I learned? If I step away, things will be okay. I can walk away from my computer, I can unplug and I deserve that time. Did I feel guilty about taking time out for myself? Of course I did. But the time I took for myself was very much needed.
Columbus Day Weekend 2020, caught in the rain at Busch Gardens Halloween Harvest
If there is anything I've learned in the field of journalism, it's toughness and tenacity. For months at a time, I was covering all the latest things dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, then it switched to the protesting and rioting with race and inequality. Of course, the hot topic now is Donald Trump and Joe Biden. This year, 2020, has felt like the longest year of my entire life. I am constantly wondering what's next?
While the outside world is in turmoil, it's affected my inside world. I'm constantly stressed, worried about if I'll get sick or not, overthinking about how this election could change our world, wondering if there is another activity that will cause more civil unrest. I wish it all wasn't happening. However, that's where the tenacity comes in. Even while all of this is going on, I'm still here, still working, doing what I can do to bring people some joy and happiness with our newspapers and publications.
Working from home can be a challenge. I have this desire to always be available, day or night. I want to answer emails and reply as fast as I possibly can. However, when that starts to take a toll on your mental health, remember that it's okay to take time for you. You can't pour from an empty cup.
Signing off,
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