Staying Sane

One aspect that I've recently been reflecting on is how to stay sane whilst escorting. As many of you can imagine, it's not a particularly easy 'job' to do. There are many different aspects to consider so I thought I'd give you a little insight into MY OPINION (others may vary) as to what it takes to stay sane in a very demanding job. Diary- bookings can be very varied. From one hour appointments to travel dates. Last minute appointments & ones that are organised sometimes months in advance. Keeping a diary of possible dates, dates that are almost guaranteed & also your own private plans certainly helps me to organise my schedule. Plans are subject to change all the time & being flexible helps. I try not to pack too many dates into one day or week. This helps to keep options open for friends that are running late or have to reschedule due to work commitments etc. Also, allowing for the odd time-waster or cancellation helps. Day to day & week to week can vary so being able to rearrange plans also help. Without keeping a diary of some description would be chaos....for me anyway. I am very much a planner & like to know what I'm doing. Unfortunately not everyone is like that! Haha. Patience- This is probably one of the most important aspects for me. As mentioned before, people's plans change, mine included, and having some patience certainly helps. I might even go so far as to say I probably show a little more patience than what's good for me, but hey, that's just me. Not only do people's plans change, but being able to communicate & be patience with more difficult friends also helps. Some may enquire as to a possible date, but not actually have an inclination as to when or where or how long for. Others may ask a million & one questions. Getting numerous emails, calls & texts from people that have no intention of making a date also happens on a very regular basis. And as mentioned above, being patient when waiting for dates to be arranged. Some days I may not get any enquiries & others I could be inundated with, so having the patience to wait out the quiet times helps too. A get out plan- As I mentioned in one of previous blogs, having a get out plan is something I think is important. I for one, never considered it when I first started out, but over the last few years it has been something that I have given much thought to & am now working towards. Not many people will have this job forever. For whatever reason it's nothing something most ladies would want to be doing when they're 50-60yr old. Although I am sure there are many that do & there is probably a demand for it. Having an idea of what you want to achieve & what you want to do when it comes to end can help keep you focused, gives you a reason to get through the difficult times & can also give you a good reason to save some of the exceptional amounts of money that can be made. As many of you probably know, my get out plan is to pay off some left-over debt, save to buy my own house & continue with my studies to enable me to enter into a more 'everyday' career when I feel the time is right to move on. Staying clear of abuse- When I say abuse I mean substance abuse. I have seen a number of ladies get drawn into drugs & alcohol & it has wrecked their lives. I guess it can be easily done. There is a demand for 'party' girls & I myself enjoy a good drink from time to time, but knowing the boundaries is important. Being high or extremely bladdered while working can, in itself, put you in a very vulnerable & potentially dangerous situation. Not only that, but having to work to maintain your habit is far from ideal & quite sad. Obviously it does happen, but it's something I've luckily enough steered well clear of. There's also physical & mental abuse, but that speaks for itself. If at any time you feel uncomfortable then get out of there or steer clear of the situation. Make your excuses & leave. Have someone who knows where you & what time to expect to hear from you. It's better to be safe than sorry. Knowing your boundaries- when I first started out I had no idea what my boundaries were & probably went far beyond what I was comfortable with, for the sake of a few extra bookings. However, in hindsight, knowing what you will and won't do helps keep you sane. It's not great, walking away from a date that you didn't enjoy. And I'm sure at some point it'll have an impact on your self-esteem. Normality- Having an element of normality helps me stay sane. Having something else besides this gives me something to focus on & also to do when it's quiet. It's easy to get engulfed in this industry, but having friends outside of the industry helps keep me sane too. Obviously it's nice to be able to talk to other ladies, there's nothing to hide & you can share experiences with them, but having an element of normality will probably help when the time comes to leave this industry. Who do you tell?- this is rather difficult question. Who knows what you do & how do you decide who to tell? I have kept the people that know to a minimum. Only a handful of people know what I do. This is purely because there are a couple of people in my life that would not approve & would be hurt if they knew. That's not to say I'm ashamed of what I do. The complete opposite in fact, but due to negativity & the stigma attached to escorting, it's difficult to convince people that it's actually just like any other job...if not better! Only tell people you trust, that way there is a smaller chance of anyone else finding out & also gives you more peace of mind. Having to make excuses or lie about what I do is not ideal, but I do have a good story that I use & until the day that escorting is widely accepted, that's what I'll continue to use. Having someone to talk to- I'm fortunate that I have a few very close friends & family members that I can talk to openly about my day. It's good to blow off steam & have a bit of a moan when things aren't going well. It's also nice to be able to share with someone some of the amazing experiences that I have. What's the point of being to able to visit some wonderful places & not be able to share them with anyone else or be able to recommend them? These are a few of the things that keep me sane. They are just my view on things & I'm sure others will have different perspectives to me. There are probably many more aspects but I can't think of any, if I do, I'll update this piece with them. I have a few more ideas to get down on paper/webpage so keep a look out over the next few weeks. They might even be interesting! Haha. Until next time... Xxx