Social Media & Stress

Working at Smith Memorial meant that I was to use social media as a tool of promotion. In this day and age the use of social media is integral for promotion. Luckily, Smith Memorial knew the power of apps such as IG. When Kidchella began I was tasked with taking as many photos and videos as I could. While the music of Kidchella played behind me, I went around the crowded park interviewing guests.

After I had a large collection of photographs, my bosses asked me to create a video that captured the event. This proved to be a little harder than I had previously guessed. I started with imovie but the end product could have been greatly improved. So I moved on to a website based video program and found no luck there as well. My bosses had the idea of posting the video on IG so they could promote the next Kidchella in August. The only issue then was that I didn't have a good video for them to use. I found myself growing frustrated and stressed. Luckily, Zoe and Cheryl are very understanding people. They had no issues with the time it took me to create a proper video. I found that the stress I was feeling was self inflicted. In the end I used Flipogram and was proud of the end product.

The trials and tribulations of creating this simple video gave me a better understanding of how I work. I know that I do not do well with stress, this has been a fact forever. When tasks are not completed as well or as fast as I would like them, I grow annoyed. I want to be able to find ways of calming down when I become stressed in a working environment. Anxiety is a very common thing in American society. We become anxious at the smallest of tasks when working. I think it is easy to get caught up in one's concerns and fears. Asking yourself questions like "Why can't I do this faster? Why is this taking so long for me to perform?".

I wrote this post to explain the role of stress and anxiety in new environments. In an exciting new place, we focus on being excited and learning when explaining our experience to others. Often times the feelings of doubt and anxiety are pushed under the rug.

But having anxiety can provide us with a more understanding world view. It can be used as a tool of self reflection. It shouldn't be something you are ashamed of and can't discuss in any environment. After working at Smith, I decided to find ways to manage my stress.