How Award-Winning Journalist Elfy Scott Switches off From Her Busy Work Days

The Mamamia editor on the importance of self-care and staying motivated.

Welcome to Bedtime Stories, an interview series where we ask inspiring individuals to share their nighttime routines and sleep secrets. For this instalment, Elfy Scott shares the morning and night routines that support her busy life as a journalist and presenter.

Being able to articulate complicated things clearly and in an accessible manner is a skill all journalists strive for. It requires breaking down information into simpler, relatable terms without sacrificing accuracy or depth. Having written and presented content around topics like complex mental health conditions, politics, and climate change, award-winning journalist Elfy Scott has had to master the art. She currently works as an executive editor at Mamamia, creating long-form journalism and helping host their podcasts. “I also present series for various brands, host events, consult with a climate organisation, and step up as an on-camera journalist when needed!”

Elfy completed a science degree before undertaking a masters in journalism. Her career started in a newsroom working as a science reporter at BuzzFeed News. She later worked as a news journalist and landed a job as the senior producer and host of The Junkee Takeaway, a daily online news show. “That job really solidified my love for presenting and taught me a huge amount (I had also worked as a model for a long time, so I was already comfortable and attention-seeking enough in front of cameras),” she shares with Bed Threads Journal.

Since then, Elfy has co-hosted and produced two podcasts: ‘Left Right Out’, an Australian politics podcast on Spotify, and ‘The Green Canary’, a weekly climate and environmental news podcast.

Her first book The One Thing We’ve Never Spoken About was published at the beginning of the year and focuses on complex mental health conditions in Australia and why there’s still so much stigma around them. “The press and writing festivals for that work are still keeping me really busy, which is fantastic and I love talking about it.”

The life of a journalist can be reactive, with tight deadlines and busy newsrooms, so self-care and downtime are a necessity. Below, Efly shares how she switches off from work as a journalist and her go-to beauty products.

Hi Elfy! Welcome to Bedtime Stories. Can you walk us through your bedtime routine?

Realistically, I think my bedtime routine starts most nights when I get into my pyjamas at about 7 pm and sit under a blanket watching TV. Cosiness is one of my highest priorities.

Finally going to bed always involves slathering on a heavy-duty moisturiser or face oil and my partner will always bring me a mug of chamomile-blend tea at about 9 pm (a routine which he is now unfortunately stuck in like some sort of nighttime prisoner – I don’t remember the last time I made my own cup of tea).

What sleep or beauty products do you swear by that you won’t go a night without?

I will always be in love with Go-to’s Face Hero oil and right now, I am absolutely loving Emma Lewisham’s Supernatural 72-hour Face Créme – it is the greatest defence against dry winter skin that I’ve found so far.

Oh – and a tube of Lanolips always has to be glued to my bedside table (metaphorically, not literally, that would be insane).

What is your solution for those nights you simply can’t nod off to sleep?

Truthfully – and I know this is annoying for people who have trouble sleeping, my partner included – I have basically never had an issue sleeping. I’m one of those people whose head hits the pillow and they’re out like a light. There’s no retrieving me once I’m comfortable, I can sleep anywhere – I’m like a cat.

What time does your alarm go off in the morning? Can you walk us through your morning routine?

I have my alarm set for 6.45 am but whether or not I actually get up at that time every morning is… heavily debatable. My morning routine includes making my oat latte, having a shower, and plonking myself in front of our bedroom mirror to do my makeup and try to look like a functional human adult.

What does self-care mean to you and how do you practise it?

Self-care can mean a lot of different things to me but mostly it just means taking time out and allowing myself to feel unproductive. I work four days a week at Mamamia as a journalist and podcast host and in between that, I am replying to emails, pitching projects, and running off to host things.

Self-care is the time that I spend with my phone deliberately flipped screen-down when I get to hang out with my partner and spend time with our families and have silly nights with my friends – it’s all the things I actually value.

Do you have any strategies for managing stress or maintaining a calm mindset?

Besides meditating – which I do really enjoy – I think it’s always just important to take stock of the things in life that really, truly matter and put your energy into those things. I know that’s easier said than done and there are a lot of legitimate reasons to feel stressed in the middle of a pandemic/cost-of-living/climate crisis but there’s always going to be a lot of love and goodness around, you just have to nurture it a bit wherever you can.

How are you able to mentally and physically switch off from work?

I have lots of little routines that happily distract me. I love working out and listening to dumb podcasts, cooking, watching movies, and going out to dinner with friends. As much as I love my work and I feel proud of the things I do, it’s never going to be something that I allow to consume that time.

Do you have any specific strategies to help you stay focused and motivated throughout the workday?

To be honest, I don’t have any specific strategies, I’m just really passionate about what I do. I love communicating complicated things in a simple way to audiences, I love presenting, and I have a lot of energy for interviewing people and finding stories that I think are important to tell.

What are your favourite things to do when you have downtime?

Nap, watch TV, read, nap, repeat.