Take advantage of the help that is available around you: If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties regarding your news media job. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems.
As a part of our series about “Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Journalist”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Stan Popovich.
Stan Popovich is the author of the popular managing fear book, “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear”. Stan has over 20 years experience in dealing with fear and anxiety and Stan’s expertise has been featured in the national news media. For more information about Stan’s media experiences and to get some free mental health advice, please visit Stan’s website at http://www.managingfear.com
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I am a published author who struggled with fear and anxiety for over 20 years, and I wrote a book based on my experiences. I created a website www.managingfear.com and I write a lot of articles for various newspapers and magazines in the U.S. I get to work with a lot journalists when it comes to getting my content published. I am also familiar with the stress and anxieties of what a journalist goes through and I have many tips to offer journalists on how to deal with those kinds of stresses.
Can you share the most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career?
The most interesting thing when it comes to my managing fear book business is that I am surprised about how the news media likes my mental health advice. I provide a lot of free advice on my website and the articles I seek to get published. I am glad I have the opportunity to share my mental health expertise with others who are struggling, and I am thankful that the media enjoys publishing my advice.
Can you share the funniest mistake that you made when you first started? Can you share the lesson you learned from it?
My main mistakes I made when I first started out was developing my website and providing content to the news media. I had to learn from scratch on how to do these things and a lot of it was trial and error. I continued to improve by doing a lot research and eventually I became successful. The lesson I learned is that you need to continue learning from your mistakes and to be persistent on what you are trying to accomplish.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I currently write articles on how to manage your mental health and I then contact the news media to get my articles published. I also provide TV and other interviews with many journalists and news producers. This is what I usually do when it comes to my managing fear business.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
I get to work with different people in the U.S. and around the world regarding my mental health book and website at www.managingfear.com. I enjoy working with others who share similar stories when it comes to today’s current mental health issues.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in journalism?
It is important to be computer savvy and to stay on top of the latest technology developments. Going digital is the wave of the future so make sure you are able to get around the computer and using social media. Secondly, it is important to be persistent in accomplishing your goals and objectives and learn to take things one step at a time.
What advice would you give to your colleagues in the industry, to thrive and not “burnout”?
You need to pace yourself and learn to delegate to others when you are overwhelmed with a lot of tasks. Creating daily goals and learning to be more organized is very important in preventing from getting overwhelmed.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Yes, I provide a lot of free mental health advice on my website www.managingfear.com and I also write a lot of mental health related articles on various media platforms at no charge to the public.
I know this is not an easy job. What drives you? I want to make a difference in someone’s life, and it makes me feel good that I am using my mental health skills to help those who are in need.
Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life? Can you share a story?
I have many books that I like, however I like to occasionally read the Bible because it provides a lot of insights and direction in my life.
Ok wonderful. Thank you for all of that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
The things that a journalist should know when starting out is to know how to organize your job responsibilities so you do not become overwhelmed and stressed out.
Here are some suggestions on how to overcome the anxieties of working in the news media industry and being a journalist.
1.Take a small break: A person can only do so much in a given day. If you feel like you are doing too much, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.
2. Delegate part of your responsibilities: Learn to delegate your work with other members of your staff instead of doing everything yourself. Make sure that you effectively communicate to others what needs done and then go from there. Most importantly, make sure you reward your staff and team members who helped you out.
3. Learn to organize your tasks: You can get a lot done in a small amount of time if you learn to organize your job responsibilities. For instance, try to determine what needs to be done right away and do those things first. Once the important things are done you can do everything else. This will help reduce your stress and anxieties of being a journalist.
4. Work in an environment that is best for you: Some news media jobs are more stressful than others due to the work environment. Try to find a job that is not as stressful and also matches your interests. You have the choice of determining the type of environment you want to be in.
5. Become computer savvy: Many journalists have to deal with lots of emails, using social media, and doing a lot of internet searches. Knowing your way around the computer can help save a lot of time in getting what you need.
6. Be proactive in your career: Focus on doing the best job that you can and don’t worry about what may happen down the road. Always keep your resume current and develop a network of friends in the media industry. Being proactive in your journalistic career will increase your chances of finding a better job if it comes down to it.
7. Take advantage of the help that is available around you: If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties regarding your news media job. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would tell others to use their fame and influence to help others who are less fortunate. I recommend using your media platform to help those who are in need.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I really can’t think of anyone at this time.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleypopovich
https://twitter.com/managingfear
https://www.facebook.com/managingfear
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Stan Popovich: Five Things You Need To Thrive & Succeed As A Journalist was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.