Graphic Design and Mindfulness: The Seven Habits [INFOGRAPHIC]

How do graphic design and mindfulness connect? Let’s explore the seven habits.

I recently found this infographic on IE Insights on the seven habits of mindfulness, and wanted to write an article about how graphic design and mindfulness can connect with one another.

Graphic design, especially for those of us who do it in a freelance capacity, can be an incredibly stressful profession. We often have to deal with multiple projects at one time, fielding emails all day long, and delivering on ad hoc requests.

Because of this high propensity for stress, we need to make sure that mindfulness is a part of our routine. I’m not saying that you need to cast off the modern world and move into the woods, but being mindful of the stresses of freelance life and how to combat them will be hugely beneficial.

Let’s get into the seven habits of mindfulness and see how they relate to graphic design.

1. Abandon Your Mental Automatisms: Awaken a Higher Level of Consciousness

An automatism is the performance of action without conscious thought or intention. In the realm of graphic design, it's common to fall into the trap of routine thinking and design patterns. By abandoning mental automatisms, designers can elevate their work to new heights.

Instead of relying on the same tried-and-tested approaches, challenge yourself to think differently. Explore innovative design solutions and awaken a higher level of consciousness that leads to groundbreaking ideas and designs.

2. Focus on What's Important: Avoid Distractions That Hinder Your Performance

Graphic designers often face a barrage of distractions, from constant email notifications to the allure of social media. To excel in your design career, it's essential to prioritise tasks and stay focused on what's important.

Mindfulness teaches us to recognize these distractions and gently steer our attention back to the task at hand. By doing so, you can maintain your creative flow and produce high-quality work.

If you find yourself struggling to deal with the noise of daily distractions, you can try time blocking. This is a productivity framework that forces you to allocate time for each of your daily tasks, which in turn makes you avoid distractions.

I’ve written a full guide on how time blocking works here.

3. Live in the Present: The Key to Happiness and High Performance

Graphic designers are often juggling multiple projects with tight deadlines, making it easy to become overwhelmed. However, living in the present moment can alleviate stress and enhance creativity.

When you immerse yourself fully in your design work, you tap into a state of flow where time seems to stand still. This is where true innovation and high-performance design can flourish.

Getting into a flow state is tricky, and takes a lot of time to perfect. But once you get the hang of it, it can be hugely beneficial. This guide from Better Up is a good place to start.

4. Embrace Pain: Pain Is a Part of Life; Don't Avoid It

Graphic design projects can be challenging, and criticism from clients or colleagues can sometimes feel painful. Mindfulness encourages us to embrace this discomfort rather than shying away from it.

By acknowledging and learning from criticism or setbacks, you can grow and improve your skills. Embracing the pain ultimately leads to resilience and a greater ability to handle adversity.

5. Don't Believe Your Mind or Your Thoughts: Question the Truth of Your Ideas

In the creative process, our minds can play tricks on us. We might doubt our abilities, overthink our designs, or second-guess our choices. Mindfulness teaches us to question the validity of these thoughts and emotions. By realizing that our minds can be less than rigorous in their judgments, designers can gain confidence in their decisions and trust their creative instincts.

A huge part of this is abandoning your hunt for perfection. When we’re constantly on the hunt for perfection in our work, we tend to overthink every little detail. Every pixel becomes a trigger for our minds to brutally criticise ourselves and our work.

6. Accept Life as It Is: A Proactive Stance for Inner Change

Accepting the current state of a project, whether it's going smoothly or facing challenges, is a fundamental aspect of mindfulness. It doesn't mean passively resigning yourself to your fate, but adopting a proactive stance.

Designers can use this mindset to approach design problems with a clear and open mind. Accepting the imperfections in your work and learning from them leads to continuous improvement.

7. Learn to Relate to Yourself: Kinder and More Compassionate

Lastly, cultivating self-compassion is crucial for graphic designers. The creative process can be fraught with self-doubt and criticism. Mindfulness encourages us to relate to ourselves more kindly and compassionately.

Treat yourself with the same empathy you extend to others, and you'll find that self-esteem and creativity flourish. Of course, push yourself to get better and improve, but also understand when you need to give yourself a break.

Conclusion

In the fast-paced world of graphic design, where creativity meets tight deadlines and client expectations, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of tasks and lose touch with the present moment.

Mindfulness, a practice rooted in ancient wisdom, offers graphic designers a valuable toolkit to enhance their work and wellbeing. You don’t need to drastically change your routine. As we said right at the start of the article, you don’t need to move into the woods to integrate mindfulness into your daily life.

Now that you know how to use mindfulness in your routine as a graphic designer, it’s time to look at things to remove from your routine. This guide dives deep into five habits that are sabotaging your productivity as a graphic designer.

The Infographic

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