I’ve joined this forum as friends etc don’t understand the demands of my work.
I’ve just started a new in house role as a senior designer that involves high end branding across 3 sectors including marketing with a lot of entirely frustrating bits and pieces that interrupt my workflow and chasing details.
I’ve done some beautiful work but my pace has been brought into question. I think I’m almost in freeze mode from the work that keeps hitting me and the larger dense documents all due before christmas.
I like the company and the work and am trying to do it all. This is the first weekend I haven’t worked and I’m l physically shaking… I was working until 11pm last night. I guess I’m just sharing and looking for support from people who get it 
I’m also trying to not work which is really difficult.
Welcome to the forum, Kelly, and congratulations on the new job. Do you think the work will slow down after Christmas? Nobody can remain at top speed and creativity without some downtime.
Busy times are definitely challenging. I worked 14 hour days for months - on the odd occasion when we only worked 12 hours it felt like I was sneaking off early.
You can only work at your own pace but maybe prioritise things in a way that makes sense to you. If you keep getting distracted by ‘bits and pieces’ this will affect your workflow. This is a new skill that you probably didn’t need in your old role. Are you able to delegate some of the smaller tasks?
I hope you find a solution that works for you.
I’ve been trying to decide what I can say that will offer the most benefit. I’ve been in your position — or very nearly been in your position.
I don’t want to go into too many details on a public forum, but I am self-employed and do work for a client that had an extremely heavy workload that was deadline driven. It got to the point that I simply could not keep on running at the pace I was running at. The workload from the one client, plus work from other clients, plus all of the other things that come with life was too much. I needed help, and I had to tell them that I needed help. I crafted my case, made a presentation, it was received very well, and I am still doing work for the client. One of the reasons it was received so well is that I had the client’s best interest at heart. I had my best interest at heart, too. It just so happened the path forward was best for both of us. They are a great client, and we still have a great relationship. The point of this? It’s okay to let someone know you can’t do it all and that you need help. That doesn’t mean you’re weak or less than. It means you’re human. What does that look like for you? I don’t know. Maybe your employer hires another full-time designer, brings someone on on a contract basis or sends work to freelancers. If the heavy workload is seasonal, maybe it’s best to bring a contractor on for 3 months. If the heavy workload is year-round, maybe it’s best for them to hire a second designer.
The other thing I’d say is that you need to make sure you are taking care of you. I can’t stress this enough. You need to take time to be physically active. You need to eat right (don’t let stress and time crunches drive you to eat crap food). You need to take care of yourself mentally and spiritually. You don’t want your tombstone to read, “Kelly sure worked hard.”
Bravo, Steve_O! Wonderful answer!
Thanks so much, the bits and pieces are really killing my flow. I appreciate your understanding.
Thank you so much, yes at the moment it’s definitely at least a 2 man job but because it’s a new job I’m trying hard to keep up and feel like I’m falling short. I have not been looking after myself at all, so really appreciate the kind reminder.
t’s easy to get caught up in the “do it all” mindset, especially when you want to prove yourself in a new role. But you’re right, working non-stop is unsustainable. Try breaking your tasks into smaller chunks and focus on one thing at a time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the little things, see if you can delegate or push them back.