When you're a designer you get so addicted to designing that you tend to do it too much. It usually leads to burnout and I know, because I've been there. Twice.
This episode talks about how to recognise burnout before it becomes a problem, and what to do about it.
Important notes from this episode
- To be an effective designer you need to:
- Be creative
- Be open to new ideas and points of view
- Be working at your maximum capacity
- Be happy
- You can't be working at your maximum if you're burned out and working too hard
- That usually leads to burnout: Can't think of new ideas
- Aren't enjoying your job
- You're working long hours but getting nothing done
- You don't feel as good as you used to
- I've burned out once, and nearly burned out a second time.
- The first time I was just doing too much work.
- My entire life used to be designing things, from 9am to 10pm.
- I used to come home from work and do nothing else.
- I was the most productive in terms of volume of work that I'd ever been, but it didn't last long.
- The second time I made a massive change to my life: I designed less and threw myself into a new hobby: jiu jitsu.
- A bit about jiu jitsu - problem solving, but in a physical realm (problem solving with dire physical consequences)
- As creatives we need space.
- You need space for creativity to thrive.
- You can't do your best work when you're frazzled and tired. When you work all the time you're frazzled and tired.
- Create more space.
- Do less. Read more.
- As much as you love what you're doing, doing it less so you keep loving it.
- Write more! That's helped me loads.