Janine Zaaa

Can any of you kind people share your experience?

When I find myself burned out but facing an imminent deadline, I try to take a step back and prioritize self-care while also managing my time effectively. Here's what I typically do: 1. Take short breaks: I give myself permission to take short breaks between work sessions. During these breaks, I engage in activities that help me relax and recharge, such as going for a walk, doing some stretching exercises, or listening to music. 2. Break tasks into smaller chunks: I break down the workload into smaller, more manageable tasks. This allows me to focus on one task at a time without feeling overwhelmed by the entire project. 3. Prioritize and delegate: I assess the urgency and importance of each task and prioritize accordingly. If possible, I delegate some tasks to colleagues or seek assistance to lighten the workload. 4. Seek support: I reach out to my team or supervisor to discuss my situation and explore potential solutions. They may be able to provide guidance, offer assistance, or adjust the deadline if necessary. 5. Adjust expectations: If the deadline is fixed and cannot be changed, I communicate with the relevant stakeholders to manage expectations. Transparency about my current state of burnout and a discussion about potential alternatives or adjustments can help alleviate the pressure. 6. Practice self-care: It's crucial to prioritize self-care during this challenging time. I ensure I get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals, and engage in activities that help me relax and recharge, such as reading, meditating, or spending time with loved ones. Now, I'm curious to know how you handle a situation when you're burned out but have a pressing deadline approaching. Share your experience and any tips you have for managing such situations effectively.

This is my personal experience: Build your visual design skills. Learn tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, etc. You can take online courses or follow video tutorials to learn the basics. Practice a lot by creating mockups, editing photos, designing websites, etc. Develop your user experience (UX) skills. Learn UX principles like user flows, wireframing, prototyping, etc. Again, there are many free or low-cost resources to learn UX skills. Practice by redesigning your favorite apps or creating new mobile app concepts. Create a solid portfolio. Pick 2-3 projects to work on and build case studies to showcase in your portfolio. They can be mobile apps, website redesigns, product design concepts, etc. A portfolio showcasing your visual and UX skills is critical to landing a design job. Learn about design trends and tools. Follow influential designers and design blogs or podcasts. Stay up-to-date with the latest design software, UI trends, UX patterns, etc. Your knowledge will come through in interviews and at your job. Consider freelancing or interning. Gain real-world experience by finding freelance design work or interning at a tech company. Start with basic projects like website wireframes or mobile app icons, then work your way up to more complex work. Experience is one of the best ways to break into the field. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and experiences.