Here's What I'm Doing All Day Now That I'm Underemployed

Be warned: This is a proper blog.

I appreciate Justin Bieber even when he looks like this.

I’ve worked freelance from home for seven years. During that time, I've been generally busy. But lately, I’m at home and working a whole lot less. And man, am I bored.

In a cascade of work disappointments starting in July, I lost every single one of my steady and even occasional writing gigs. Since, I secured one and am writing the occasional article. The only other time I had this little work was when I first moved to D.C. and had no childcare and wrote this for Refinery29.

So, now that I’m underemployed and without extra funds, I will share how I fill my cavernous days.

First, I’m doing a lot of hydrotherapy. That means I’m grounding my furious workaholic energy with baths and showers. I soundtrack these watery rituals with the same three Justin Bieber and Rihanna songs, mostly. I sometimes wash dishes, but that is a less common practice.

Yesterday, I got so bored, I went outside and trimmed the hedges — and that is not a euphemism. I literally used all of my bored aggression to cut back errant stems with old clippers, and now my arm is shaking from misuse. At least that’s giving my brain something to fixate on.  

I walk a lot, too.

In my neighborhood, there are these two people who spend hours each day walking. There’s one lady who is literally always smiling with full teeth and resembles a certain loathsome U.S. representative from Georgia and a fellow who endlessly hustles up and down the street with weights in his hands. I have to say, he has really gotten in better shape from his efforts over the past months. I plan to join them full-time as a Forrest Gump person in the coming weeks and may incorporate weights into my walking.

When I walk, I listen to music, and mostly I’m listening to my inner teenager’s music, like the same five New Order songs or Weezer’s Pinkerton or, again, Justin Bieber’s dance songs. I am not listening to anything cool and new. I just want comfort music that I can get a little emotional to and work through my feelings about my boredom. I find that the walks with the Smiths-level moody music do wonders for personal realizations.

Yesterday, I decided to find karaoke songs I can actually sing. I spent an hour on YouTube and learned that I cannot sing many of the man-fronted songs that I love. But I’m pleased to report that I have some new tunes prepped and ready to go whenever anyone wants to do karaoke with me.

I also now go on grocery shopping trips for just one or two things instead 300 things. Oh, and I don’t hate cooking dinner as much. Living with a very picky child makes cooking dinner a miserable task. But now that I can’t do takeout as often, I’ve allowed myself to make easier meals like hotdogs and fries and grapes with less guilt. And if I feel like making something healthier, I put Jimmy Cliff on the record player and chop away for hours — because I have hours.

I’m reading more, but I can’t concentrate as well. I’m just bouncing from book to book. The other thing I’m doing is half-writing Substacks and taking days to write paid articles that should take me an hour. The way I work best is under multiple stressful deadlines. So, when I have less to do, I do less. And then I take more showers.

I’ve also gotten to hang out with new friends in the neighborhood, which is nice. And I’ve spent a lot of time on the phone with old friends. I also bring my child to the park to shoot hoops and play soccer with him in the yard. Yesterday, I got out to a coffee shop, as requested by Ryan, who realized I was not thriving at home. These are the good parts of my days, where I’m more present.

I’ll hopefully and probably be inundated with work soon, once everyone realizes ChatGPT is not as charming as Liz Tracy. Until then, wave at me if you see me sweating on the street.