How to Reduce Stress if You Are a Tech Writer?
When people ask me if technical writing is stressful, I always say that any occupation may be stressful sometimes — even your favorite one. Our goal is to reduce stress to enjoy work and life in general. I decided to share my experience as I think a lot of tech writers feel the same.
Let me figure out what usually makes me feel stressed out and what I do to restore my inner balance:
- Deadlines. I can hardly imagine a person who enjoys that =) What I do is careful and detailed planning and following my plan, of course. It took me a couple of years to master that. Now, I feel quite safe about that. I know for sure what I should do today, tomorrow, next week, not to worry about the time. The main thing is to do your best to cope with the daily amount of work and not to leave it for tomorrow. It is all about your self-discipline.
- Urgent tasks. It is another thing that may ruin my inner balance. Can you imagine a situation: you have so many things to do, and you get an email saying that you must do something else right away? Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? I think about priorities. I have to choose what is more important. Unfortunately, no one can cope with several tasks at a time.
- Unclear tasks. If I do not understand what to do, I get nervous. I used to feel uncomfortable when I had to ask for detailed explanations. But finally, I realized that this way leads to numerous corrections. Today, I do not hesitate to ask if I get the task right. Do not be afraid to ask questions. That will contribute to your professionalism.
- Huge tasks. I divide big tasks into small ones and, once again, create a plan according to which I am going to work. This little trick helps me cope better and keep calm. I try not to think of the total amount of work but take small steps, which seems to be less challenging.
I believe there should be a carefully thought out system in everything you do. It will help you cope with a lot of things that may cause stress. The idea is that there should be time for everything vital in your work. Other things can wait. There should be a clear division into things that are worth spending time on and things that are not. There should be time to have a rest and time to work hard. You should do your best, but keep in mind that you cannot do everything right now and right here.
Check out this post, it will give you a couple of good tips: ‘Time Management Tips for Technical Writers’.
One more thing I recommend you to pay attention to. You’ve got to analyze where your stress comes from. Is it just small everyday stuff, or is it the general dissatisfaction with your occupation? If you do not enjoy what you do, professional burnout may take place. Here is a good article about that: ‘Burnout Recovery Strategies for Technical Writers’.
Stay safe and enjoy your work!
