Sup Muses?
An epilogue brings closure to a work, so I’d like to close my occupational wellness series with an update of my life since November 2019.
I wrote three posts discussing my life at my former job and why it was necessary for me to quit. My state of mind was bad, yall. It was framed under occupational wellness: Work life balance, sense of enjoyment at your place of work, balance and level of work stress, creating working relationships and more. If you didn’t know about OW read a little more here.
Right now, I feel blessed. I know that with everything going on in the world over the past month+ being blessed isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind. I’ve been counting my blessings and for me, that is the first adjective I want to elevate. So let’s get into the epilogue.
My new work space. And let’s be honest…this is the cutest.
When I reflect on my time at TFT today, I am grateful. I learned SO much there that can take me in any direction. Starting at TFT I was fairly unaware about the intersections of food accessibility and the other social determinants of health. I had no idea about food justice + food sovereignty and I didn’t realize how screwed up the funding and philanthropy sectors are- the barriers that small organizations face, the white washing, the extreme power dynamics, etc.
but now I do.
I spent so much of my three years diving into diversity, equity and inclusion work: reading papers, attending conferences, watching webinars and learning from leaders. Bit by bit, I was was about to take it all in and digest it- the complexities, the “wow this is deep”ness, how the system does not want to change, but also the solutions that many Black & Brown organizations have created within their communities. I learned about youth advocacy and youth voice, how to do good work within a system not built for you.
my skin has cleared up.
my hair is growing.
grateful.
I also worked in policy - federal, state and local politics (SNAP, Food Policy Council, Farm Bill etc) and started in 2016 on the external affairs team, which meant I attended coalitions, task forces and meetings consistently for years. That work along with the above mentioned helped me to understand why it’s important to have community voice at the table AND able to speak + be heard. So often there are meetings about what companies/initiatives are going to do for the community to “help” when the people at the table have never been to the community and/or they cannot relate to the issue they are addressing. I’ve had to partner with the healthcare system, community businesses, the government, non-profits and many others. That breadth & depth has prepared for many positions across sectors.
My time at TFT served me well. Often I had to create my own path which helped shape the positive aspects that I’ve brought up. That is where I am now as I reflect. I struggled there. I struggled more than I ever have at any other job. I began internalizing unhealthy behaviors and dismissing my wins. You’ve read the past posts, you know.
Let’s talk about the process, the healing.
I thought about all the good relationships and work I accomplished.
I talked. Also, I was quiet. I needed both types of reflections to help with healing.
I gave myself power & agency for what comes next.
I traveled. I went to the Seychelles Islands and Montreal. Traveling quiets my mind and feeds my soul. Will I ever be able to travel again?? Who knows!!
Any work updates? Yes
In February I started working part time as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at a private school which reignited my love for fitness, prescribing exercise and being a trainer. From then, I pivoted to coaching virtually at this school and now I’m teaching a few virtual fitness classes during their summer break. In the spring, I taught several fitness classes over IG and Zoom, also. In mid-June I was offered a remote job at a public health firm focusing on maternal and child health. The good thing, it’s part time so I can continue growing museologie (I’ve been educating myself on the wellness industry so I can carve out my niche) and gardening. On yea, I started a garden in April and have LOVED the process of becoming an urban grower! In my next post I will be focusing on food justice and will feature my garden check back in a week or two!
That’s the post!💗 I’m in a better place. I feel at peace with everything-the good and the bad. Maybe it was supposed to happen that way. Thanks for reading this series. I hope you take time to reevaluate your relationship with your job and find balance. This community- the messages & support- has been overwhelming. From here I keep going & growing.
-xo
JM