What I’m working on:
I’m always exploring and learning new skills and topics, from coding and photography to neuroscience and business, and right now is no different.
This year, I’ve had the opportunity to gain more experience in audio journalism. Recently I co-produced my first podcast episode, a story about general anxiety disorder for the Mexican science podcast Historias Para Mentes Curiosas. I also started writing scripts for the podcast Climate Connections that creates 90-second segments on climate change issues, and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.
I’m also diving deep into more science-heavy beats. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve been reporting on science from a more social perspective, focusing on public policy, mental health, and diversity issues, and I’ve been wanting to branch out for a few years now to report on topics related to microbiology, infectious diseases, chemistry, and other fields of science that have sparked my curiosity and that are still connected to my broader interests of health, the environment, and climate change.
Where I work:
For the past two years I’ve been working from my home in Mexico City. I don’t have a specific office space, so I mostly work in the dining room or the living room, depending on what inspiration calls for. If there are too many distractions in those rooms or if I’m having a hard time focusing and I need a change of pace, I move to my bedroom, but I try to avoid it as I like to make a clear distinction between work and leisure spaces.
All of this is about to change, though. Starting in June I’ll be on the road visiting friends across the U.S. before moving to Boston in August for the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship. In the end, I think my life is turning out to be the self-fulfilling prophecy I set in motion when I was younger and said to myself, “I want to be a citizen of the world.” I’m very excited and curious to learn what the snapshots from my next workspaces will look like.
Daily routine:
Over the years I’ve developed work habits that foster my creativity and productivity, and they don’t always fit into a fixed routine. Sometimes I’ll switch between tasks to make progress, other times I’ll take short walks to help my ideas flow more freely before I resume work, and other times I’ll be working nonstop for hours.
Still, I do try to fit all these workflows into a daily schedule to have some sense of structure. Ideally, on a regular day, I wake up around 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. and use that time to get ready for the day ahead—sometimes I exercise, other times I reflect on my day, or I do a little journaling. I have breakfast with my family at 9:00 a.m., and my workday starts at 10:00 am. I work all morning, taking a few short breaks until lunchtime at 3:00 p.m.
I won’t resume work until after 5:30 p.m., once I’ve digested lunch and given my body and brain some time to rest. Depending on the amount of work I have, sometimes I skip the afternoon shift, or I stop working around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. when I have dinner before going to bed.
When I’m not busy reporting a story, I split my work time between checking my email to see if a source has sent me any interesting tips, reviewing lists of papers to see if there’s anything worth reporting on, and checking both local and international news. I spread these tasks out over the course of a single day or over different days of the week, depending on what mood strikes me. Anything can happen in the freelance world.
Most productive part of my day:
I’m definitely a morning person. The time after breakfast and before lunch is my favorite part of the day to get some work done. On occasions—mostly when I have a pressing deadline—I’ll try to go to bed early and wake up around 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. Sometimes the break of dawn is the absolute best time to get some work done as my mind feels rested and there are no distractions around to interrupt my flow. Twenty-year-old Myriam would be shocked to read this, though—she was such a night owl!
Most essential ritual or habit:
Whenever I’m having issues focusing or finding inspiration, I’ll bring out my mug from the Mexican Network of Science Journalists and pour any beverage into it to keep me going. It makes me feel like I’m invoking the spirits of my other journalist colleagues to help me find the motivation I’m struggling to find. Plus, it’s a very funny mug.
I also do a lot of journaling. I’ve been doing it since I was little, and it helps me clear my head and sort out my thought processes, ideas, my visions of the future—anything really that’s inspiring or bothering me.
Lately, I’ve also been practicing mindfulness exercises throughout the day. Beyond the fact that presence and observation are important skills for journalism, I’ve realized that sometimes I fail to notice and appreciate the life that’s unfolding around me because I’m so focused on deadlines, goals, productivity, and other concerns. So, I’ve started pausing more to appreciate the details of the present moment and be thankful for them.
Favorite note-taking techniques/tools:
I’m a fan of using Apple Notes because I can sync my entries between my phone and the computer, and it allows me to work on things on the road to later pick them up at home. However, for my actual reporting work—field reporting, notetaking during an interview, etc.—nothing beats a notebook, and I have dozens of them. I don’t have a specific preference for a brand or between pencil or pen, but I do like 5 by 8-inch type of notebooks that bend over and I can carry in any bag—they’re very practical.
How I keep track of my to-do list:
My Apple and Google calendars are synched, and I add every appointment, interview, and commitment on them; sometimes I’ll set reminders on the previous day of an appointment depending on how much organization or travel they’ll require of me. For my general to-do list, I have a notepad on Apple Notes titled “To Do/Accountability” in which I subdivided my tasks by days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so on. I update it regularly. Every time I finish a task, I mark it as complete or I just erase it.
Essential software/apps/productivity tools:
Having access to a music streaming service helps me a lot because I spend a few minutes in the morning deciding on a specific playlist or even a song that’s going to play on repeat during my workday to help me focus and make progress in my work. Other times I’ll just work with nature sounds playlists.
The iPhone has an amazing Focus feature that allows me to block any incoming phone calls, texts, emails and any other types of notifications while I’m working.
Finally, last year I bought a Kindle Scribe, and it was a game changer. There are so many journals, books, and articles I need to read every day and when I download them to the device, I automatically eliminate all the distractions that come with other devices like the computer or phone—social media, email, the internet in general. Plus, my eyes get less tired, I can make notes on the documents, and now I can buy as many books as I want without the fear of how I will bring them with me in my next move.
Favorite time waster/procrastination habit:
When I’m feeling stuck or I need a break, I like to go for a walk around the block to stretch my legs and clear my head. I also spend more time that I’d care to admit watching TV shows, listening to podcasts, and napping. If I’m feeling more energetic, I love taking my camera and walking around the city taking pictures and exploring it with the curiosity of a tourist. I’ve been doing this since a trip I took to Buenos Aires in 2017 in which I noticed its likelihood to Mexico City, my hometown. I started wondering how many places in my own city were there left for me to explore? I’ve been approaching my immediate world with more curiosity since then. Besides, photography is an excellent form of meditation.
My reading habits:
I mostly sit down to read in the afternoons or at night, depending on how much free time and mental energy I have, but there are days when I like to read a little in the morning.
Since my interests are always varied, I read several books or articles at the same time and switch between them depending on what my inspiration or mood dictates—unless there’s a book that really grabs my attention and I just can’t put it down. The last book I devoured from cover to cover was Sorprende a Tu Mente (Surprise Your Mind) by Ana Ibañez—it has a lot of amazing tactics and tools to train our brains to focus better, reduce anxiety and fear and other pivotal human issues.
Other books I’m reading right now are Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano. It has helped me better understand the dynamics of colonialism and how it continues to shape politics, global power, and economic inequality. I would like to encourage every journalist to read it. I’m also reading Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. It’s such a fun and interesting perspective on the culture of hyperspecialization and productivity-focused learning versus critical thinking–focused learning. Finally, if you’re looking for something more fun and laid back, I fully recommend Todos Los Fines del Mundo (All the Ends of the World) by Andrea Chapela, it’s a Mexican science fiction novel about the end of the world caused by climate change with a very surprising plot twist at the end.
Sleep schedule: I close the curtain at 10:00 p.m., sometimes at 11:00 p.m. depending on whether I’m watching a show or something to try to sleep.