3 Ways to Be Victorious When Under Pressure
Let's face it, working as a creative can be a daunting task!
There are many occasions where I am busy working along and feel a little bit overwhelmed at my to-do list. Regardless, I felt inclined to write about some of the ways that I have helped me de-stress and focus on creating when the going gets tough.
1. Find a Creative Activity that Doesn't Involve Any Client Work
When under a bit of pressure, it has been effective for me to adapt a hobby that instills creativity but doesn't intertwine with any of my client-related projects. Whether that is designing something on Illustrator just for fun, or taking some time in my day to read a book.
Make sure the creative activity doesn't feel as much of a chore, this activity needs to be something that you enjoy doing! It becomes counter-productive as soon as this project adds more stress into your day!
Josh Shultis has an amazing blog post on Lifehack about 20 art therapy activities you can try at home. Click here and give it a read!
2. Take Care of Yourself Physically and Mentally
There are a million studies out there that can tell you the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. I cannot stress the importance of this more than right now. In particular, I think this is an absolutely essential part of a creative's day.
Exercise, whether as simple as a morning walk or a hardcore spin class, should be a safe haven to de-clutter and simplify the thoughts going through your head! I like to take about 30 minutes in my day to go for a walk by myself (usually after I take my corgi puppy for a walk) while I listen to music. This is a very safe space for me to get lost in my visuals and think of camera movements to the music that I'm listening to.
The days that I get the best sleep are the days that I work the most! I can assert that our brains LOVE routine. The more consistent our sleep schedule is, the less stress we put on our brain and ourselves.
Even taking a hot minute to think about the days of undergrad reminds me of the times where it was very difficult to pay attention to content when exhausted.
It doesn't have to be a lot either, a little change every day can make a big difference!
3. Have a Strong Support System Around You
Personally, this does go along with taking care of yourself mentally, but I think there should be a separate point about having a support system pushing ourselves to the finish line.
Any creative has had the feeling of hitting up against a brick wall in our capacity and motivation. It is important to ride out the temptation to quit or no longer pursue that particular activity because of the stress it brings to the forefront. Having a strong supporter like a friend or colleague can move a creative from a block to being on-target.
Even an agenda can be the support system that organizes one's thoughts. I personally love to write down my to-do list with little check boxes to give myself a visual of all the projects I need to complete and in what order. This greatly de-stresses me because I don't feel as overwhelmed about what I need to get done in the day and I focus more on just completing one task at a time
That's it! Hopefully some of these tips can help us creatives improve our lives. During the winter months and the holidays can be the busiest and most stressful for a creative. I feel confident that these tips could be a small beacon of light for someone who may just be feeling the heat right now - including myself.
Have an amazing day.
