Summer is that time of year that cries out for a Total disconnection and a moment of relaxation and leisure. However, not all designers have the opportunity to leave their workplace, or at least not for as long as they would like. That is why we have to learn to play with our resources to cope in the best possible way a summer that brings projects and short-term jobs.
Before organizing you must have a clear idea: Leisure moments away from work are very important and necessary. Although work (if it is a job that we are passionate about) deserves our attention, there are other aspects of your life that you should take care of and that you should not forget. If you are one of those designers who luckily or unfortunately are not going to have the vacation they want, don't worry. There are some points that you can take into account to make your summer a somewhat lighter and more enjoyable experience. Our colleagues from Sleep days They have shared a series of tips to survive the summer period. An article of the most interesting and that more than one we need to read. Here we share with you this series of useful tips and some more.
Don't miss the repellent against parasites
With summer and vacations, one of the most obvious consequences is the greater availability of free time for most. This leaves a very interesting space for a thoughtful and analytical mindset about our trajectory. That is why it is not strange that many companies decide to renew the image of their businesses, so it is very common for new potential customers to appear at your fingertips. Of course, be very careful because a high percentage of these will take advantage of the fact that we are on vacation to informalize orders and it is very likely that they ask you as "favors." That is why it is very important that you always have at hand the best repellent that exists: A DO NOT like a cathedral. That will help you find truly effective clients.
Projects expire!
In reality, the date on which we start a project matters very little, because it will generally serve to motivate us and tackle new challenges. What happens is that many times we overlook the life of an idea and a project. Make sure that you do not extend the life of your projects in an artificial and unnecessary way Because otherwise an idea that seduced you and seemed brilliant to you may end up becoming your summer nightmare. If you don't finish a project on the right date, it will probably end up causing headaches, nausea, stress, and even insomnia. Generally, these types of circumstances are aggravated when you realize that you have spent all your vacations on a project that in the end has not come to fruition and even more so when you simultaneously suffer the bite of a summer parasite. One piece of advice that we could give you is that you do not allow your clients to become more unbearable than the account and before forming a contract make sure that it is clear how many changes are included in the budget and do not let the terms get longer and including new modifications, otherwise you can have a bad time.
Even the best of ideas die inside an overheated head
Surely no living being is aware of what it means to reach an extreme situation until he is locked inside a car in the middle of August. Anyone who has experienced this will know that it is probably the worst form of torture and a solid reason to start hating summer considerably. However, this overwhelming and frustrating feeling can also occur in the summer outside of a car. To reproduce this magnificent experience we will not need more than a workaholic and entrepreneurial head. It is no wonder that entrepreneurs find summer a perfect time to experience a period of crisis. To avoid this you must learn to disconnect and try to put your ideas and ambitions aside in moments of rest. When you go out for ice cream or take a bath on the beach, it is totally forbidden to think about possibilities and lines of development within your project and your work. If you ignore this, it is most likely that the life of your idea and your project will become much shorter and not only that, you waste time in an absolutely useless way or you feel without energy.
Hydration is the most important thing!
With the incessant rise in temperatures, the head suffers unwanted consequences: Increased irritability, fatigue, lack of energy ... Factors that make you a less productive professional than usual. Therefore, if you go to work even during peak summer hours because of your wishes or simply because the circumstances have occurred, I recommend that you stay with a friend, go to a refreshing place and have a drink in your moments of disconnection . Otherwise, you will be submitting yourself to a kind of unnecessary torture that will only bring you bad feelings that will inhibit your creative capacity and your power as a designer.
Sunglasses ... Essential
As a consequence of the above, the relaxation time may pass too quickly. Maybe if you disconnect in this way in summer, the afternoon easily becomes night and the night dawn. So, if this happens, it is always necessary that you have at your fingertips some good sun glasses that allow you to hide the trail of a long night. If we add an energy drink and a shower to the sunglasses, all the better.
Protect your skin from the sun's rays
There is a very common trend among graphic designers and it is that they systematically substitute sunlight for light from a computer monitor. This, although it seems healthier with respect to our skin, the truth is that it is the opposite, because it is very likely that while you are working on your projects you regularly visit Facebook and other social networks and between rest and rest you will see more and more photos of your acquaintances on vacation. What if beaches, what if parties, what if mojitos ... You know what I'm talking about right? Total, that the light of your monitor begins to be more and more sticky, more and more and more dangerous. That is why it is very important that you never forget sunscreen and what it means. Put it on and go to the beach or the pool from time to time, even three times a month. What less than that to break your self-tanning designer routine with an LG?
Get organized and anticipate traffic jams
One of the hallmarks of summer is the appearance of peak dates, sometimes even peak hours. Rush hours to go to the coast, rush hours to return ... Anyway, this is important that we take into account when surviving this summer whether we go on vacation literally or not. And it is that no matter how much you do not go on vacation, you already know from what we have said above, that during these dates it is very likely that a large number of potential clients will appear (many of them parasites), but there may also be many individuals who will entrust you with a project that they want to have ready before going on vacation or worse, higher density projects that they decide to have in their hands perfectly finished on their return. So, it is very important that you schedule well what are the tasks that you will have to develop during these months and organize your moments of hydration and rest in such a way that you have guarantees that you will be able to face all the stipulated work while you rest and enjoy.
Protect yourself from summer insomnia
The best way to protect ourselves against sleepless nights is to make sure we maintain a good temperature both in our work area and in our room. We have enough of working during a season in which the thermometers overflow not to protect our ideas from the feeling of stress. No matter how tight the delivery times are, it is vitally important that you learn to distinguish between working hours and when to rest. Search for alternatives to disconnect, because in this way your dream will be much easier to achieve and you will also be able to face your work the next day with more energy and predisposition.
Design your vacation as you know best
Work is important, but it is no less important than your quality of life. Therefore it is crucial that you dedicate as much time to perfect yourself as to enjoy and take advantage of your leisure time. Time passes and the truth is that in the end, no matter how excellent the result of your work is, it will not be able to return the time you have invested in it. Ideally, you should not work for at least one month out of these three months, but if this is not possible, try to make plans that enrich you and make you feel good and complete. Do not miss the opportunity to live new experiences and discard all the projects that you can, because summer is the time to enjoy and rest because September and the new work year are on the way. You need to regain contact with yourself and with other facets of your life. So above all, Don't get obsessed with work!