Designer Anxiety.
Do not let your job as a designer pave the way for anxiety.
Author
READ
Category
I want to tackle the topic of Anxiety. It has been something that has become prominent in the public domain for quite some time now, and my recent research shows that it needs to be handled…
As designers, we know how challenging our job can be; we worry about where and when our next big gig is coming, meeting up with deadlines, worrying if our designs are good enough, and getting client feedback. This can be heightened when you work as a self-employed or a freelancer. You have to worry about where your next job and paycheck are coming from.
Yinka, a website designer, said, “As a designer, we are up against judgment, criticism, and baffling rebukes daily”.
We are creatives, we design content for people — be it a client, employee or a developer we are judged by our skills and what we put down on a screen for everyone, this alone can eat away self-confidence and make you spend extra hours on a single project.
I think being a designer means you are always slightly anxious because you are working on tight deadlines for clients, and you need to be sure the product you are working on is 100% perfect.
Damilola, a UI UX Designer, said, “Oftentimes I lie awake and keep asking myself the same questions all over again -Do I understand the design brief? Does my design make sense? Is the design pleasing? I just kept on changing designs and ended up wasting a lot of my time trying to be perfect”.
Uju, a web designer, shares her experience, “While working on a job, I got anxious and was thinking, ' Will the client like this job? Is the design pleasing, and I just went over changing designs and ended up wasting a lot of my time trying to be perfect.”
Ifu, a product designer, describes anxiety as a feeling of fear, a feeling of uneasiness.
Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension and worried thoughts. Anxiety can negatively impact your ability to generate ideas and be creative.
A psychologist pointed out to us that “there are scores of reasons why creative folks experience more anxiety”.
Symptoms of anxiety often include
Restlessness
Uncontrollable feelings of worry
Sleep difficulties, such as falling or staying asleep
Mariam, a website designer, said: “ I schedule all my tasks and meetings for the whole month to avoid a mental breakdown from overwork”.
In my opinion, Designing takes a lot of effort before arriving at the desired result. You can’t just put things in a spot and expect a yes to something. My opinion is that If the work is worth waiting for, then the client doesn’t have any choice but to wait. That way, you won’t have to put yourself under unnecessary pressure.
Here are some things I think can help designers overcome anxiety
Get Comfortable with good enough: managing my expectations has been more difficult than my anxiety challenges. Now I know better and embrace the notion that says “ it is wise — not lazy -to recognize when getting things done than making it perfect. It is unrealistic to deliver a project 100%,
Schedule your working hours: Be rigorously strict with your working hours, try restructuring your working hours to be stress-free, so that you can plan your life outside work and take days off.
Listen to your body: Listening to your body is very important when you feel it’s time to rest and recharge. You should do so; it is not a sign of weakness or unseriousness, it simply means your body needs rest, and this is a major key to preventing anxiety.
Take a break: Take a break from work, step away, and get some fresh air. It is very important to get away from work and clear your head, regardless of the task you have yet to complete. Don’t check your mail or receive any calls that are not necessary. absorb yourself in a book, music, or anything you love doing.
Exercise: Helps use the hormones the body produces under stress, relaxes muscles, strengthens the heart, improves blood circulation, and releases endorphins. Cycle or walk to work if you can. Sign up (and show up) for a new fitness class like yoga, Zumba, or swimming.
Try not to do many things at a time: Try not to do too many things at the same time: Try not to take on too much project work at a time. Avoiding too much work will help you keep a tab on the few ones you have at any time, so you meet your deadlines and deliver without being stressed
Be assertive: doesn’t matter how busy you are, if you just can’t take on projects being placed on you, learn to say “no”
Reflect on what you have achieved so far. At the end of each day, rather than worrying about things you are yet to achieve or what you may have slipped on. Why don’t you reflect on what you have achieved so far and give yourself a break? After all, nobody is perfect.
Recognizing the problem is the first step in resolving that problem. If not most people, many people encounter situations that can lead to anxiety at a certain point in their professional lives.
