KATE SLOAN, 31
Previous jobs: Writer, podcaster and customer-service rep Current jobs: Writer and podcaster Lives in: Kensington Market
BETWEEN THE AGES of 20 and 24, I was one of the hardest-working people I knew. I was getting an undergrad degree in journalism while cranking out content three to five times a week for Girly Juice, my blog about sex, kink, relationships, fashion, beauty and mental health. I was also freelancing for magazines like Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue and Playboy and working an additional 20 hours a week for an online customer-service agency. I was doing so much that a blogger friend invited me to teach a workshop on productivity at a writing retreat she organized. Then, in my mid-20s, I started experiencing intense joint pain, fatigue and brain fog. It was devastating. My selfworth was completely wrapped up in my work ethic and professional accomplishments, and suddenly I couldn’t work. I was relieved to finally get a diagnosis In 2021―fibromyalgia―but it was difficult to accept that I could no longer easily do all the things that made me feel like myself.
Still, in April of 2022, I got a dream contract writing web pieces about sex and relationships for the men’s magazine MEL. On a typical day, I would research and write a 1,500-to-4,000-word article, conduct interviews and pitch ideas to my editor, and because I often wrote about sex toys, I set aside a couple of hours each week to test new products. I also kept on top of my non-MEL projects, which included recording weekly episodes for Dildorks, my podcast about sex and dating; writing a weekly paid newsletter; and posting semi-regularly on my blog. I was earning more than double what I had before. But, when I was lying in bed at the end of the day, lacking the
strength to see friends, play video games or even read a book, I’d ask myself what all this money was for. I loved my work, but I was miserable, isolated, exhausted and in pain.
Four months after I started at MEL, the company abruptly shut down. It was a loss but also a relief. I was paid out for the remainder of my contract, so I had enough money to take time off to recover and reflect. I soon realized that I’d have to set boundaries if I was going to be able to work, stay healthy and have any kind of a life. Now I’m working four days a week, up to four hours a day, and even that feels like a stretch sometimes.
I’ve organized my schedule so I’m able to take weekend Wednesdays―having a free day in the middle of the week gives me time to recuperate physically and run some errands. I also make sure not to conduct more than two interviews a day for my articles, which has really improved the quality of my work. I’m no longer pushing myself to the point where I’m so tired that I’m slurring my words or unable to listen attentively. Since making these changes, my fibromyalgia has improved―I still get flareups when I’m stressed out, but I don’t have as much joint pain and I’m not constantly fatigued. Most of the time, I have energy to do things I enjoy, like going for walks, making music and journalling.
It makes me angry when people imply that I’m undisciplined for having a light work schedule. It’s insulting to me and all the other people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses who have to fight through their symptoms to make enough money to live. I’ve worked very hard and very deliberately for years to build a life that would suit my limitations. Besides, the value we place on work in our culture is inflated―there’s no moral imperative to work a 40-hour week.
The value we place on work is inflated. There’s no moral imperative to work a 40-hour week