The last time I really felt numb was the day of the Pulse nightclub shooting. I spent two days in an empty office in the Orlando Sentinel’s newsroom. And when they had a moment, the journalists there stopped by to talk to me for a story about their stories.
I got the sense that for a lot of them, it was one of the first times they’d had a chance to reflect on the horrific thing they were covering.
So I did that thing we do when covering the unimaginable – I built a wall around my emotions, and then I worked and worked and worked.
I didn’t lose anyone I knew or loved to that mass shooting. I wasn’t talking to police officers or family members. I wasn’t waiting at the hospital or questioning politicians. I was hearing the stories of the storytellers. And it led to a kind of distant but real trauma, which for me meant I felt numb for awhile.
Chances are that most of you don’t live in El Paso, Texas, or Dayton, Ohio, (but if you do, thank you, thank you for your work). Chances are that, by now, whether you’re writing about last weekend’s two mass shootings or just seeing coverage everywhere, you’re feeling it.
So this week, I want to offer some resources and remind you to take care of yourself. Here are five simple tips, links to more resources and some stock photos that came up when I searched “self-care” that I hope make you smile:
Image via Shutterstock
Develop a plan now
Figure out two or three key colleagues “who you know you could go to at any time to just decompress and talk about what’s going on,” said Rebecca Palpant Shimkets, previously with The Carter Center Mental Health Program, in a 2016 Poynter story.
Strong social fabric is key to resilience and mental wellness, she said.
Ask those colleagues to be proactive when big news hits and check in on you and make sure you’re doing OK.
Read more: When reporting on others’ trauma, how do we take care of our own?
Find your people
“Find a community, or create one,” Elite Truong wrote for Poynter in 2016. That might mean reporters in your newsroom, people in your community who work in the same area, or finding journalists in other newsrooms facing the same issues.
One powerful place where that’s happening now is a Facebook group for journalists covering mass shootings.
Read more: How journalists can practice self-care while covering tough stories
Image via Shutterstock
It’s OK to unplug
In fact, when you’re rested, it makes your work better. Maybe you’re refreshed from exercise, a walk around the block, a good beach read, meditation, cooking, trashy television or extra sleep.
Plan media blackouts, Shimkets told me in 2016, and give your brain some space, particularly before bed.
When you’re in the newsroom and can’t unplug, try finding a quiet place.
“If people can create silent workplaces in their own newsroom, even if it’s just an empty office, it might be good to help you take the time to craft things that are worthwhile,” Manoush Zomorodi told Poynter in 2016. “We lose track of those things as we move faster and more constantly.”
If you feel like you don’t have time or space for … well, time or space, try this excellent tip from the Carter Center’s Kari Cobham: “What’s one thing that makes you happy? Try to do that thing for an extra 10 minutes every day, especially on hard days.”
Read more: How journalists can take care of themselves while covering trauma
Seek out and save journalism that inspires you
“Try bookmarking examples of great journalism and writers that inspire you, and return to them for inspiration,” Emanuella Grinberg wrote for Poynter in 2017. “Research shows that those under distress are more resilient when they have clarity of purpose and retain a moral compass.”
Read more: How do you stay sane in the dizzying news cycle?
Image via Shutterstock
While you’re here:
Stop procrastinating: You have until Aug. 15 to apply for Poynter’s Reporting Workshop for Rising Stars.
Retention, retention, retention: Subscriber churn is a real issue facing local newsrooms. Nieman Lab’s Josh Benton put that in perspective with the L.A. Times’ disappointing subscriber numbers.
Speaking of subscribers: Anthony Ha has an update for TechCrunch on Facebook’s Local News Subscriptions Accelerator.
This is reveal-ing: Reveal’s put out a call for proposals for two new Local News Labs.
On Plan Bs: Luis Gomez published a project on journalists who’ve left the business.
So radical: Radically Rural is a two-day summit on and for cities and small towns. As part of that, the Keene Sentinel in Keene, New Hampshire will offer sessions focused on local journalism.
Meet the tarpon queen: My latest obit for the Tampa Bay Times is on the grande dame of the local track who knew who to catch a fish.
And some cool news: From Al Cross at the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, here’s a story about a small town that built a statue of Alice Allison Dunnigan, “the first black woman accredited as a journalist to the White House and Congress.”
Take care of yourselves and each other. See you next week.
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