Agency ≠ Anxiety

 

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year’s focus is on anxiety. The Mental Health Foundation describe that “anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem”. Combining long hours, heavy workloads, and ever-changing demands within the dynamic nature of the creative industry – agency life can arguably be the perfect environment for anxiety to fester. 

In reflection of Mental Health Awareness week, we have been reviewing the practices we put in place to best navigate through the grips of anxiety at work. Although never avoidable, we believe these things have aided us in safeguarding against an anxiety-inducing work environment at a busy agency and allows us to continue to thrive and produce great work, day after day.   

 

 

Often finding yourself in any sort of “grey area” can be one of the biggest anxiety inducers. The things left unsaid, ill-defined, or open to ambiguous interpretation inevitably create greater unknowns and disparity in expectations. The three Cs; Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate, is our best tool for mitigating this situation. 

 

From following up on meetings with clear minutes, contact reports to create a tangible copy of what is being discussed, and simply picking up the phone to speak directly with clients, the clearer the communication can be, the less potential confusion. We aim to have regular communication with clients, keeping in contact with them throughout the entirety of a project which helps to promote transparency. 

 

We like Ultra-Violet not Ultra-Grey, thanks!   

 

 

It’s not just pedigrees that require a daily walk – we too require those all-important mind-calming steps. And a great way to get these in is walking to and from the office (a lap round the block if it’s a WFH day). A great remedy for a stressed-out mind, taking a stroll allows time and space for your mind to process many of the emotions and stresses of the day, and gain some perspective from the many challenges you might be facing. 

 

We understand not everyone is lucky enough to be blessed with an office at the end of the cosmopolitan, tram track, gentrified strip of land that is Leith Walk in 2023, but a brisk 15-minute stomp wherever you may be will make all the difference. 

 

 

One of the major factors leading to the stereotype of agencies being anxiety-inducing and often toxic workplaces is the trap of over-servicing clients. Being available to clients 24/7, promising super-speedy turnarounds on projects, and agreeing to out-of-scope requests can lead to a challenging work environment, not conducive to anyone’s mental wellbeing. 

 

Whilst we’re always there for our clients, we believe in setting clear boundaries and realistic deadlines. When we can’t meet requests and timelines, we will explain why. This has helped to foster mutual respect between client and agency and provides a shield to being over worked and inevitably burning out. 

 

 

Often when working across multiple projects for a broad spectrum of clients, competing demands become unassailable. This feeling of having a mountain to climb between the hours of 9am-5pm can become overwhelming. When this happens, having the ability to identify your top priorities is paramount. Knowing which tasks are going to be physically manageable in the time you have available allows you to plan ahead and map out your workload. Additionally, sprinkling in a few easy tasks, some quick wins, is always beneficial for promoting feelings of productivity and accomplishment as you can tick them off your long list. 

 

Golden rule: get to know when your prime hours are - an hour first thing in the morning will often produce better work than three jaded ones at the end of the day. 

 

 

Managing anxiety is all about knowing yourself (jeez, easy task right?!) But knowing what triggers you, how best you can mitigate its influx, and how to manage when you find yourself in the crux of anxiety is key.

 

One of the ways in which everyone at D2 tries to best manage their anxiety is by making time to do the things they love. Whether that be attending music concerts, going out for dinner with friends, going to the gym or reading a book, leaving the office with a plan for the ensuing evening/weekend aids in anxiety management. 

 

On paper, working at a fast-paced and busy agency creates the perfect environment for anxiety to rise.  That’s why this Mental Health awareness week we are checking in with one another and taking the time to practice habits that promote our individual and collective wellbeing.