Ep148: “I Was Fired For Requesting a Single Mental Health Day” | with Jim Page

<p>When editor <strong><a href= "https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2784255/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2" target= "_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jim Page</a></strong> recently tweeted about getting fired for requesting a single mental health day, it caught a lot of people's attention. Depression, long work hours, and burnout are all too common in the entertainment industry. The gig economy and being a freelancer instills fear and insecurity in creative professionals leaving us feeling undervalued and pressured to outperform and outlast.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en">Thread. Please RT.<br /> I'm scared to say this publically, but I feel I need to. Recently I was fired from a show on a major TV channel because I needed a day off for mental health reasons. I made the mistake of being honest, instead of pretending to have a physical sickness.</p> <p>— Jimstagram (@iamjimpage) <a href= "https://twitter.com/iamjimpage/status/1372275340756840450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2021</a></p> </blockquote> <p>My own experience with burnout is what led me to start the <a href="https://optimizeyourself.me/optimizer" target= "_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Optimizer coaching & mentorship program</strong></a> so I could start to teach people to take positive steps towards healthier lifestyles and improved working conditions. After seeing Jim's tweet, I knew I had to have him on the show to talk about this important topic.</p> <p>Jim Page has been editing for 15 years in the UK cutting features, shorts, documentaries, and many other types of media. His work includes the feature "The Pugilist" which was nominated for the Michael Powell Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival, while short film "No More Wings" won best film at Tribeca, and "Hair Cut" was long listed for a BAFTA. Like many creatives, Jim is passionate about his work and takes pride in what he does. But the burden of the <strong><a href="https://optimizeyourself.me/passion-tax/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"The Passion Tax"</a></strong> o