Is there such thing as a “home life”?

I take my work home with me every night.

I compulsively check my work email daily. Multiple times a day. That includes days off, mornings before work, and evenings when I get home.

When I meet a new work contact, and hand them my card, I usually say, “My cell phone number’s on there. Feel free to use it. I work weekends and I have my cell phone on me 24-7, so if I miss your call, I should get back with you shortly.”

I even dream about work. I can’t count the number of dreams I’ve had where I run out to anchor a show, only to find that I have wet hair and I’m not wearing any make-up, I forgot to produce the show until 10 minutes to air, and on top of it all the prompter’s not working. (Okay, that last part isn’t always necessarily a dream…)

So last week I created this:

I taped it up, just inside my front door, and (no joke!) I even placed a cardboard box on the floor under the arrow.

We work in an industry where we’re forced to not only read about, but rehash and regurgitate a number of issues that can weigh on the mind. I personally have reported on the rape of a 4-year-old girl, a drunk hit-and-run that killed a 14-year-old, a soldier returning home from Afghanistan missing a leg…the list goes on.

Within the past few weeks, a couple of my reporter friends posted on Facebook about the kind of days they were having–one reporting on the death of a young child, and the other on the murder of a pregnant woman. We’ve all been there. How do you leave that in a box when you come home?

A co-worker recently brought to my attention a Ball State University professor’s book that shows journalists suffer from Post Traumatic Stress and depression from covering traumatic events, just as first responders do:

“People may think that reporters are only out for a good story and don’t feel anything when they’re covering a tragedy,” Massé said. “The outdated newsroom view is that if you show any empathy, you aren’t a good reporter. That’s wrong because understanding what a victim is going through actually makes you a better reporter. And it makes you a better person.”

It may seem petty compared to some of the tragedy we cover, but with the high energy and big personalities in a television newsroom, conflict is never in short supply (or, let’s face it, gossip). So if you’re not stewing over a tough story, it’s hard not to replay an argument, coverage decision, or other high-energy newsroom moment when you get home.

I still remember, when I was just an intern at a central Illinois station, one of the most aggressive and go-getter reporters there said to me (and the videographer we were with), “You know, I’m starting to wonder if I want to live to work or work to live.” Two years later, she left the business.

Maybe that’s why so many people who start out in television don’t make it to “lifer” status. They want to work to live.

I would argue we can do both. Or at least, I’m hoping my hand-made sign will allow me to do so. Live to work, sure, while you’re working. Then come home, drop your worries in a box, and enjoy the simple pleasures life can offer. Your email can wait a few hours. (After all, if big news breaks, your manager will probably call your cell phone.)

News + Running = Necessary stress relief?

Over the last several months, my Facebook has been interfering with my self esteem.

Let me explain. I’ve noticed more and more of my friends have been grabbing their running shoes and hitting the pavement (yes, those were intentionally-placed, too-often-used news cliches). Often, these aren’t the 30-minutes, twice-a-week, keep-off-the-calories runs either. I know dozens of people who have been training for, and completing 5Ks, half marathons, marathons, and even in some cases, triathlons.

So what does this tangent have to do with a blog about TV news? Well, despite the fact that (believe it or not!) I have many Facebook friends who are not in the news industry, I’m noticing that most of my run-happy friends are the ones who work in news. About a year ago, it seemed like at least half of the on-air staff at my old station in central Illinois trained for a half marathon at the same time. I have no statistics to back up this speculation, but to me, the number of “newsies” who like/love/need to run in their spare time is striking.

I’d include myself in that group, as well. In fact, I just got home from a 2+ mile run with my dog on this beautiful, end-of-summer evening. I ran my first 5K earlier this year. And maybe next year I’ll take the leap and train much, much harder, for my own half marathon.

My dad and me finishing my first 5K last spring

My favorite thing about running is the way I feel afterward. In my opinion, running makes you feel like you’re literally “blowing off steam.” With every step, and every (labored) breath, I feel like the tension of my day is broken down a little more, and by the end of it all, my body is too exhausted for my news-trained mind to keep racing, as it has been conditioned to do.

(I also attend yoga class religiously twice a week, for a similar reason; though, yoga calms me down to a clear head, whereas running pumps me up to get there.)

I am a firm believer that for most of us, our mind is our worst enemy, and perhaps more than a toned body, that is a big reason why many of my news friends have taken up running. As a one-man-band reporter, I typically have a stack of about a dozen things in my mental to-do list at any given time. My work day is a series of mental back-timing to make sure I will be able to get my stories in on time. And in some cases, if you’re working a heavy story that involves violence or corruption, that weighs on you too, whether you’d like to let it or not. For many of us in this industry, the job itself can add to additional personal stresses, like money worries or disappointment in not seeing your family or friends as much as you’d like. All of these things aren’t issues that you just drop at the front door when you come home. We need an outlet of some kind, and I think maybe this is where running comes in.

So what do you think, news friends? Am I hitting some truth here? Or am I just trying to justify why I need to keep up with my Facebook friends in the race to stay physically fit? (Your comments are welcomed!)