On assignment, the part of my brain that can feel overwhelmed turns off. It must be adrenaline.

On the ground, I’ve spoken to people minutes after they’ve seen their friends killed, or hours after their homes have burned down. I’ve spent a lot of time with people fighting addiction. Journalists have a responsibility to approach these situations with humility and humanity; that’s my priority, so there’s little room to dwell on my anxieties.

Once I’m home or in my hotel room, that’s another thing. Journalists don’t talk enough about the effect that stress and adrenaline can have on our bodies, let alone on our mental health. I’m lucky to have a partner, family and friends who sustain me emotionally. I also have an informal support group at The Times, journalists with whom I check in regularly and vice versa. But I’d like for this to become a bigger conversation in newsrooms.

How do you spend your time when you’re off duty?

Off duty? El-Oh-El.

I’m on the road a lot for work and persistently on call for breaking news. It’s exhilarating but a double-edged sword. I never imagined I’d see so much of this country. But being away from home so often, in many cases with little notice, can be tough.

“Self-care” has become a hokey phrase, but I do believe in finding healthy ways to relieve stress. Some people I know practice meditation, but that hasn't worked for me. I subscribe to the “Just Dance” model of self-care. I try to start my days, at least when I’m on the road, with five-minute dance parties. Yes, by myself. Try it! They are extraordinarily rejuvenating. If you’re in a bad mood afterward, there’s nothing else I can do for you. The trick is making space for some joy and whimsy. That and a steady dose of exercise, novels and “Grey’s Anatomy” keep me sane.

I also try to be mindful of how my work affects my partner. He has been inoculated against my schedule (we started dating while I was covering the Trump campaign). But just because he’s exceptionally supportive doesn’t mean I’m not responsible for him in return. When I’m home, we cook together, drink wine and listen to Linda Ronstadt, hike or visit art galleries. The biggest check on my “screen time” is my desire to maximize my time with him, friends and family, because I have no idea when I might need to bail. Ten minutes on Twitter are 10 wasted minutes.

How has your background, as a gay man and the son of Mexican immigrants, informed your work?

I’m always a little bit of an outsider wherever I am. I grew up in a trailer park in Anchorage. My parents don’t speak English and hustled hard to get by in the United States. They picked fruit when I was a baby in California. My dad fixed cars and washed dishes at restaurants. My mom cleaned rooms at a hotel for nearly two decades. I worked at that same hotel in high school.

But that feels like a lifetime away now. I went to Harvard on scholarship. I work at The New York Times. My partner is a university professor. Reconciling my life then with my life now can be challenging but enlightening.