Daye's brief reflection on Outside Magazine: Stresses of seasonal work

As a seasonal guide, I (Daye) averaged 100-140 days in the field, from surf beaches to old growth trails. I often told people, "I get to wake up each morning thinking, 'There's nowhere else in the world I would rather be today' - not everybody has that." Guiding and the outdoors got me through a lot in life, and helped strengthen me in to the person I am.

At the same time, as this all-too-short article from Outside Magazine touches on, the changing of the seasons each November brought with it a predictable shift in spirit. My work was 3 seasons: my love affair with water in its liquid form only. Each winter I felt like I was floundering, drowning even, as I struggled to patch together income, housing, and relationships, knowing that the following spring would bring further change. I predictably spiralled further in to self-doubt, mood disruption, and shame each successive fall. Although I loved the seasonal work, it was this annual instability that played a primary motivation for me to pursue a Master's degree and a career change to become a clinical counsellor. Now, I integrate outdoor and guiding work in a different way, with mental health as a personal and professional focus -- but it's taken a lot to get here.

Read the Outside Magazine article at: https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/seasonal-guide-mental-health-stress/

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