Don’t Critique Your Own Design

Have you ever heard the phrase “You are your own worst critic”? I personally have heard this about a million times and some more. When you put your work (of all kinds) out there, you want to believe that it is good work. You put your time and soul into various projects and papers. How do you know if it is good work though?

You may be too close to the project to tell. Think about it! You have been working on this project for 7 days. You are stressed, hungry, and most definitely sleep deprived. You are so hopped up on caffeine that you do not know which way is up. Your anxiety is so high that you are wondering if any of this is even worth it. Then, you finish! You’re done! Your work is finally done. You don’t even want to look at it.

But, you look at it anyway. You hope and pray that if you look at it

one…

more…

time…

that you will find a mistake. You wonder if you even did the assignment correctly. You keep thinking about it and rechecking your work. You wonder if you should start over or leave it how it is. Your heart is racing. Should you continue looking until you are satisfied?

no.

You have done all you can do. Your best bet is to give it to someone else. I do this for all my projects and papers. I have people look at it and give me their professional critique, not just “it looks nice…” It makes sense that you would want to fix it yourself, but you need to step back and have someone help you. Don’t critique your own design. Doesn’t matter what the “design” is. Have someone else help you for the sake of your mental health.

Thanks everyone for reading. This is a bit of a glimpse into the stress I feel daily. Mental health is no joke and should be taken care of. Get sleep. Eat the best you can. Take breaks. Do activities that ease your anxiety. Do not risk your mental health for your work.