Advice for coping with media layoffs and the blurring of career and identity

Setting boundaries between work and personal life can be challenging, especially for journalists who often connect their work to their identity.  

Psychologist Janna Koretz, in conversation with Washington-based journalist Kate Woodsome, shared advice for reporters on separating identity from work and navigating the current turmoil in the media landscape.

Here are just a few tips from the Feb. 16 webinar. 

• Identify if you are at risk for “enmeshment,” the psychological term for defining your personal identity by your career accomplishments. Enmeshment can put you at risk for depression, anxiety, strained relationships, and substance abuse, says Koretz. 

• If you are, try strategies to separate your identity from work. One way is to determine and prioritize your personal values and find activities and hobbies outside of work that align with those values. Koretz suggests using this values navigator developed by her practice.

• Activities outside work can be small, from spending one hour with the phone off or watching Netflix with a partner. They can include having a meal or going for a walk with a friend. Schedule nonwork time on your calendar. Here are some more suggestions from Samantha Ragland, vice president of journalism programs at the American Press Institute.

• If you have lost your job, allow yourself to grieve and find a community of support. Woodsome, who recently took a buyout from The Washington Post, found comfort in connecting with colleagues who had also taken a buyout. “There’s something profoundly important about a shared experience,” says Koretz.

For more advice, watch the program replay or click here for additional resources.