You have probably been told (possibly more than once) that interior design can be a stressful business to be in. From dealing with fussy clients to trying to keep your accounting in order to an overbooked schedule, it can be easy for interior designers to feel overwhelmed. The good news is that you do not need to be stressed! Instead, follow these four tips to decrease the stress in your life.
4. Look to Your Workspace
This tip should be the most obvious for interior designers; after all, you have probably spent some time telling a client (or several) that one thing good interior design can do is help them relax by creating a stress-free environment. However, with busy schedules and business paperwork piling up, it can be all too easy for interior designers to ignore their own advice about stress-free design! While some people work well in cluttered chaos, most people (interior designers included) will find that neat, orderly spaces help them destress. Minimalist designs have been shown to encourage relaxation, while cluttered or “busy” spaces can make people more anxious. Take some time to organize your workspace in a way that makes you feel comfortable, yet motivated.
3. Get Some Work-Life Balance
Some interior designers may laugh at this idea; after all, with all the demands of the fiercely competitive interior design industry, the idea of a “balance” between work and life may seem a little ridiculous. Unfortunately, that is part of the problem and why so many interior designers find themselves increasingly strung out: It is too easy to become engulfed in their work. While you may not feel that your overloaded schedule will allow it, be sure to pencil in time for you, your hobbies, and your friends and family. Interior design may be your passion, but it does not need to be your entire life. You will feel much less stressed (and probably more productive and creative!) if you ensure that you create some space between yourself and your work.
2. Get Some Help
While you may not be in a position to hire someone, you may be able to find ways to get some help. One method might be hiring a part-time or temporary bookkeeper. Another affordable method is to invest in a tool like business management software, which can help you manage almost every aspect of a project from end to end. You may even be able to automate some tasks, such as invoice generation, which can help save you time—and a little frustration. There’s little doubt that making some of the tasks associated with your business less time-consuming will help you de-stress.
1. Micromanage Your Schedule
While this may sound apt to increase, rather than decrease, stress, it has been shown that scheduling all of your tasks—including the most minute—will actually help you manage stress more effectually. Time management is incredibly important for interior designers, but many only schedule the big tasks, thus leaving smaller tasks to fall by the wayside until they “have time.” Schedule five minutes at the end of the day to look after expenses or to tackle another small task. Not only will this ensure that these tasks are being completed, it can also help you de-stress as you achieve a sense of accomplishment from ticking one more item off your to-do list. This strategy also helps you categorize tasks by the amount of time they are likely to take, which allows you to better visualize exactly how difficult or stressful something is likely to be. When your day is broken up by plenty of five-minute tasks, that schedule will not seem nearly as intimidating.
