Greatest hits
Thanks to the mental-breakdown-to-freelancing pipeline
Hello and happy June, mixers!
I have been freelancing for two years now, which is crazy to say and look back on. I used to be terrified of going freelance. After five (mostly unhappy) years of full-time employment, the prospect of striking out on my own was daunting. Being my own boss? Loss of benefits?? Quarterly estimated taxes??? No thank you.
I essentially had to be on the brink of a full mental breakdown before I realized that full-time jobs in fintech (~fiNaNcIaL tEchNoLoGy~) was not sustainable for me. To be clear, I did not realize this on my own. My therapist was like, “Girl you have to quit this job, I am CONCERNED,” which is when you know it’s bad. My tax guy, Derek, assured me my finances and healthcare would be just fine as long as I married him first. (For those who don’t know, we are already married, filing jointly and very much in love!)
[Quick side bar on how fucked up it is that in the U.S.:
Folks have to rely on employment to simply be healthy. Otherwise, you pay an arm and a leg, sometimes literally, either for non-employer sponsored coverage or paying out of pocket. OR, as many are forced to do, forego healthcare altogether!! It is a ridiculous and shameful system for such a wealthy country.
Taxpayers have to figure out each year what they might owe the state/feds in taxes, or what the state/feds might owe them, when the state/feds ALREADY KNOW THOSE DEETS. There is even the risk of getting hit with penalties and fines if you’re late or fuck up the extremely complicated numbers (unless you’re rich and powerful). Lawmakers have tried several times to move towards a system similar to other countries where basically the IRS would just tell people what they owe. But the companies we pay to do our taxes every year (TurboTax, H&R Block, etc.) have lobbied HARD with their millions of dollars to prevent it. Again, a ridiculous and shameful system.
This list could be so much longer, but I did say quick, so back to me for now.]
SO, here I am two years later with a pretty cool set of articles and unique experiences under my freelance belt. Below are my favorites from the past two years:
I wrote an essay about foolishly bringing only one book on a two-week vacation in Oh, Reader Issue 009. It’s in print (!) and sold out, but you can get a digital subscription (it’s a lovely mag) or ask to see my physical copy at some point.
I’ve written a lot about CBD - its health benefits, where to buy it and the difference from THC.
I’ve also gotten really into medicinal herbs and plants, which have thousands of years of proof behind them, such as ashwagandha, but NOT KRATOM. Not medicinal, but there are also plants that can make your home air cleaner!
Similarly, I LOVE the surge towards psychedelic therapy which has proven clinical results. Shrooms for mental health!
I’ve learned a lot about various approaches to therapy and mental health topics, including mindfulness, work burnout and grounding practices.
Friends and acquaintances can attest that I do not shut up about mineral sunscreen (wear broad-spectrum, SPF 30 mineral sunscreen every day!!!).
You know how I fight for inclusivity, so I’ve also covered weight bias in health care and inclusive fitness.
Also a few other health things I haven’t written on (yet) but are pretty cool:
Elix is bringing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to Western menstrual health. Women and girls have been forced to accept that period pain and PMS are normal things we just have to deal with or take a Midol for, but there are better, more holistic ways to treat these symptoms at the root cause.
I just got to try Viome’s tests for gut and overall health (still awaiting results). Viome takes a personalized approach to health, understanding that not everyone’s inner workings are exactly the same, so medications and supplements do not work across the board.
I’m also giving Wyndly a try, which is a similarly individualized treatment for allergies, meaning the allergy treatment they send you is based off of your own allergy test. Genius, right? Allegra-D can only get me so far.
I had no idea that going into the health and wellness beat was synonymous with getting blasted with PR emails and product offers, even as a freelancer, but it has been so exciting to learn about so many companies and products, to go to uniquely curated events and to meet incredible people that I otherwise wouldn’t have.
But it’s not just the free and cool stuff that puts the smile on my face when people ask how freelancing is going. It’s the clear, marked difference in my mental health. How much happier and freer I feel to not have to log onto Slack every morning to merely “be online” and then log off in the evening, but not too early lest someone think you’re literally slacking. To not have to be beholden to middle management’s whims or unrealistic goals. To not have to mire myself in fake corporate niceties and ethics.
Being a freelancer does make me my own boss, yes, but it just means that I can make decisions that make sense for myself without a manager telling me I’m being too selfish or unproductive. To be clear, I am very lucky to be able to freelance like I do, thanks to the healthcare and taxes parts taken care of by my gainfully employed husband. But as said husband likes to remind me, and what I have to keep reminding myself, is that I made a lot of this happen for myself, too. And that’s something to be proud of.