Working as a UX designer or researcher can be incredibly stressful. Our work is constantly subject to intense scrutiny and debate from clients and colleagues. If we're consultants, we have the added pressure of constantly proving our worth to clients. If we're in-house, we may have to get along with and even prove the value of UX to other departments. Even the fast pace and ill-defined nature of the field itself can lead to stress: we can suffer from impostor syndrome and general insecurity about where we fit in our own profession. In this talk I take a frank look at common UX stressors and, most importantly, discuss ways to address them. Become better prepared to handle a UXer's everyday challenges, and take away a myriad of ways to improve your emotional wellbeing.

1. Coping With the Stress
of a Career in UX
Meredith Noble
Director of User Experience, Cloudberry Creative
@meredi | meredith@meredi.com
June 24, 2015 | UXPA
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2. @meredi
Hello.
I’m Meredith.
I’ve been a UX consultant for 10 years.
My work sometimes often stresses me out.
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3. @meredi 3
Me and Stress
I’m a
sensitive,
conscientious,
people-pleasing,
perfectionistic
emotion-squelcher…
…who chose a role with intense deadlines and
external judgment!
I hit a breaking point.
Something needed to change.

4. @meredi
I started exploring the mind-body
connection and the effects
thoughts and emotions can have
on our bodies.
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Me and Stress

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Talk Outline
• What is stress? Why is it a problem?
• Why is stress a problem for UXers?
• How stressed out are we?
• Stress topics: choose-your-own adventure
• Other ways to combat stress
• Resources
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What is stress?
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• Autonomic nervous system:
• Parasympathetic nervous system
(‘rest and digest’)
• Sympathetic nervous system
(‘fight, flight, or freeze’)

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What is stress?
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• Fear system constantly
scanning the environment
• Activates hormone craziness!

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What is stress?
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• Energy is mobilized to send to muscles
• Heart rate and blood pressure increase
• Non-essential activities stop or slow:
• Digestion
• Immunity
• Growth & tissue repair
• Blood flow to skin
• Etc.

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Why is stress a problem?
• Lions aren’t a big problem
in 2015
• Most of our stress is:
• Psychological
• Ongoing
• Our bodies are sustaining
long-term damage!

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Why is stress a problem?
• Chronic stress can lead to:
– Heart disease
– Depression and anxiety
– Increased illness
– Ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome
– Diabetes, metabolic syndrome
– Pain disorders

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Why Stress is Bad for UXers
• Hinders creativity
• Creates tunnel vision
• Reduces empathy in men
• Hinders accessibility of
memories
• Reduces our ability to
learn and store memories

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How Stressed Are We?
Last week, were you:
• Not at all stressed
• Somewhat stressed
• Moderately stressed
• Very stressed
• Extremely stressed

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Stress: Choose Your Own Adventure!
Impostor Syndrome Unnecessary Meetings Too Much Work;
Deadlines
Improper Expectations Keeping Up

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Watch for Key Approaches (4 As)
ALTER the stressor
AVOID the stressor
ADAPT to the stressor
ACCEPT the stressor
bit.ly/fourAs

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Impostor Syndrome
What is it?
• Feeling inadequate and like a
fraud despite evidence to the
contrary
• The tendency to attribute
success to external factors
(like luck)
• The fear of being found out
and having your true abilities
discovered

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Impostor Syndrome
Lori Widelitz-Cavallucci & Amy Silvers
bit.ly/uximpostersyndrome

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Impostor Syndrome
Why do we have it?
• We don’t have
certifications
• We don’t have a good way
to see other people’s work
or process
• “Should” articles
• Always feeling behind in
knowledge

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Impostor Syndrome
How do we prevent it?
• Avoid the words “just”,
“only”
• Find someone who can
mentor & support you
• Write down your wins
• Remember you’re not
alone!

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Impostor Syndrome
• Any other tips?

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Unnecessary Meetings
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• Key question:
“Should I attend?”
• Ask yourself
• Ask your boss
• Ask your colleagues
bit.ly/unnecessarymeetings

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Unnecessary Meetings
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• Decline meetings you
don’t feel are necessary
• Block out non-
negotiable time in your
calendar
• Try email or phone
instead, or dropping by
someone’s desk

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Unnecessary Meetings
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• Improve the meeting:
• Ensure everyone’s
there who needs to be
• Suggest no tech
• Suggest standing up
• Insist on an agenda in
advance
• Conclude with action
items

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Unnecessary Meetings
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• Any other tips?

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Too Much Work; Deadlines
• Break a project into small
steps, allocate time &
prioritize
• Get fresh eyes on the
problem
• Try the Pomodoro Technique
• TAKE A BREAK
• Renegotiate with new
information

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Too Much Work; Deadlines
• Any other tips?

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Improper Expectations
• In-house:
• Ever been asked to do a
research study in a week?
• Or were brought in to do
research at the tail end of
design?
• Agency-side:
• Ever had a client completely
get the wrong idea?

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Improper Expectations
• Proactive education:
• Strategic one-on-one
meetings
• Lunch & learns
• Repeat, repeat, repeat
• Get creative with execution
• Bi-weekly research sessions
• Guerrilla testing
• Etc.
• Find powerful / persuasive allies

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Improper Expectations
• Killer kick-off meetings
(over-communicate)
• Be realistic & leave
buffer room
• Use your research skills:
listen & intuit

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Improper Expectations
• Any other tips?

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Keeping Up
• YOU ARE NOT BEHIND
• Follow your passion
• Dedicate time each
morning to read one
thing
• Try using a tool like
Nuzzel to monitor the
zeitgeist

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Keeping Up
• Any other tips?

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General Ways to Combat Stress
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1. Make friends with your thoughts
(defusion in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)
• “I’m having the thought that…”
• Sing the thought to “Happy Birthday”
• Name your stories

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Ways to Combat Stress
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2. Practice self-compassion

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Ways to Combat Stress
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3. Use a relaxation technique to
return to ‘rest and digest’
• 3 deep breaths, 9 times
• Exercise
• Open Focus

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Ways to Combat Stress
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4. Tune into your emotions
• How am I feeling right now?
• Let yourself feel it

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Resources
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The Open Focus Brain
Les Fehmi and Jim Robbins
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
Robert M. Sapolsky

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Resources
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The Happiness Trap
Russ Harris
The Inner Game of Stress
W. Timothy Gallwey

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Resources
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Self-Compassion
Kristin Neff
The Mindful Path to Self-
Compassion
Christopher K. Germer

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Resources
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Mind Body Toolbox
Audio Course & Other
Resources
Abigail Steidley
abigailsteidley.com

40. Thanks!
Meredith Noble
Director of User Experience, Cloudberry Creative
@meredi | meredith@meredi.com

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Questions?