Paleo, Oily, and Job Searching
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Today's post isn't a guide to a DIY project or a Paleo recipe; instead, it's a thought on my life recently.
“You’ll never succeed if you never try”
As my friends know, I've been job searching for a while. In my field, the final round interview is generally on-site and can last 1-2 days so there's often an overnight stay and a few meals. I left a job last June for several reasons. I had accepted the position in an effort to focus more on school and not have a 3-4 hour round-trip commute to work. But by taking a position where I was tied to a computer for 45ish hours a week, my stress levels skyrocketed. At this point, I was just trying to manage my health and shifting to eating Paleo, I hadn't even started with Young Living (YL) yet. So, I quit the job and started working at Starbucks. However, standing all day really flared up the plantar fasciitis I had developed while running and my skin was a mess from being around so much gluten and dairy all the time. I couldn't help but get it all over my skin and occasionally breathe it in. Fortunately, my doctor put me on disability so I wasn't standing all day, but I still had an income. Unfortunately, my foot issues have continued and this month, I actually had surgery to fix the ongoing pain (So far, I'm healing well).
Well, being off work meant I got to focus on healing my foot (the reason I was off work), getting my insides healed, and finish school. In September, we (Michelle & I) decided to start using Young Living Essential Oils. Honestly, it was because the more I got into Paleo, the more I realized I shouldn't use the cleaning products I had been using (my functional doc also told me to get away from the chemicals), and that I needed to get away from OTC pain meds and creams like ibuprofen. Now, I can't use everything YL produces because some things do have my allergens in them, but the pure essential oils (versus the supplements and creams) are only that plant and so unless I'm allergic to the plant, it's fine. So that led me to start trying to make my own face wash and moisturizer, use the YL cleaning products, and I started caring for my skin and aches with different YL oils. It is unbelievable how much our lives have changed since we started with the oils. But, it's been a series of trial and error, asking questions, and just figuring it out.
So how does that all bring me to today? Again, I have to go back a few months. I had been soft job searching since about April of 2015 because I realized how unhappy I was in my former job. But, I didn't do too much because I really couldn't search outside of the San Francisco area because I had classes through December. In November/December, I really launched into a full-on job search; knowing that I could move in January. But here I am, in June, still searching. I won't say how many jobs I've applied to over the past year, but it's a lot. Honestly, though, I have a pretty good percentage of how often I get interviews. But this search has been different than ones prior. I'm looking for a more senior level position, with specific responsibilities. I know what kind of workplace and demographic I want. I'm looking for an area where the cost of living allows us to buy a house and have a kid. And I'm married to a woman. So she's a part of the decision, but we also have to consider where is safe and will be comfortable for us to live.
One of the biggest differences though is having food allergies. It's almost like I have to "come out" in every interview in two ways. Obviously, there's the traditional coming out of sharing my sexual orientation, because when you have a daylong interview, my significant other comes up in one way or another. But also, when picking a restaurant for the typical dinner out, I have to share that I have gluten intolerance. In all my prior searches, I just thought I couldn't eat shellfish. Now, it includes gluten as an absolute no and I make compromises on other foods. To be honest, that has made my search incredibly difficult. I never feel as good when I eat out or don't eat right. And I'm trying to "perform" while my body is internally fighting. So I bring out my oils and I make sure that I'm pepping myself up with some peppermint and using copaiba to manage my body aches. In one interview, I pulled out tissues and my YL hand sanitizer. And in another, a potential colleague talked about the air quality and I joked about loaning her my diffuser. It's amazing how they've infused (pun intended) themselves into my life. I feel the difference, especially when I'm under the weather or stressed. I'm actually battling a headache right now as I type this after trying to be super careful while eating out. And unfortunately, I thought I had packed my oils and I can't find them so I must have left them at home (I never do that).
Being oily AND sporting my diffuser necklace
I don't know if I have recommendations or tips about being Paleo and job searching. I just say, be you and be honest. Because getting sick isn't worth it. Try to make the best choices you can and choose a restaurant you think will work for you. And hang in there, because you can do it! As my friends and family tell me, go be your rockstar self and the right job will be smart enough to snap you up!
