A Guide to Deadlines & Staying Human

For the Overwhelmed Architect (or overwhelmed, in any field.) Architecture is a profession of intensity from studying right through to your working years; deadlines do creep up on us when we aren’t looking, drawings need relentless amendments and our inboxes are usually bursting at the seams. Even the most grounded, disciplined and organised amongst us can ultimately fold under the pressure and that is completely understandable, that is to be human.

Yesteryear, any lack of health or mental health was too taboo to be mentioned; even basic exhaustion, lack of sunshine or dehydration, was a no-go area. We were supposed to be on top of everything, all the time. This is possible only for short bursts of time. Imagine a few months, tops. It is not ideal to live under stress long-term, or work in 5^th gear year after year. If stress builds, hypervigilance kicks in. Your nervous system becomes a guard dog: on high alert, jumpy, braced for impact. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an architect, designer, academic, or administrator, when the bandwidth is gone, well-meaning advice just doesn’t pass the emergency filter. Your system says survive first, reflect later.

This is where Luminism can help: the philosophy of choosing clarity, gentleness, and light in a world that seems to otherwise reward frantic and frenzy. Stress doesn’t disappear because a deadline does; it dissolves when body, mind, and spirit anchor each other.

Below is a practical guide, simple, grounding, sensory, and humane for when you are overwhelmed and need a sprinkling of micro-rituals of stability. Try one at a time and see what works for you.

BODY.

When stress spikes, the body carries it too. Shoulders rise, breath shortens, vision narrows. You don’t need or have time for a yoga retreat; you need micro-repairs, the architectural equivalent of tightening a bolt.

• Drink a glass of water Dehydration exacerbates anxiety, migraines, fatigue. Keep a glass on your desk like a design tool.

• Look outside The simple act of shifting your gaze 20 metres away resets eye strain and drops cortisol. Sky, tree, wall, anything green and not a screen.

• Stretch your fascia Raise arms overhead. Roll shoulders forward and back. These movements switch off fight-or-flight fast. When you feel yourself tipping into pure panic: Pause. Relax your forehead, relax your jaw, relax your shoulders and just pause. This interrupts the fear circuit.

• Tap the sternum With two fingers, tap lightly at the breastbone for 15–20 seconds. This stimulates your vagus nerve.

• Touch something natural Wood, stone, wool. Rudolf Steiner was right: we regulate ourselves through natural materials. Even easier, wear natural fibres whenever you can.

• Move every 55 minutes. Walk even a little. Movement flushes adrenaline.

• Use light consciously Turn off the big light. Harsh overhead lighting worsens overwhelming feelings, especially for ADHD, SPD, and high-sensitivity brains. Turn on a softer desk lamp to reduce glare and avoid flicker.

MIND

When stress peaks, the mind becomes a messy desk: papers everywhere, half-drawn ideas, alarms going off.

• One task at a time Multitasking is not good for you. Choose the next task; do it fully.

• Externalise the overwhelm Share your stress with a team mate or if WFH write down the storm: “Here is what I think is happening.” Often the page reveals less catastrophe than the mind.

• Reduce aesthetic noise Clear an area of your desk or close some tabs. Turn off some visual chaos.

• Turn off notifications give yourself a chance to get some work done or have an undisturbed break.

• Avoid gossip It muddies thinking, corrodes clarity, and prolongs stress.

SPIRIT

• Practice tiny agency When you can’t control the chaos, you can still control your Breath. In for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds and breathe out for 5 seconds. Your breath can steady your heart rate. (Or you can also stand next to a horse if you have one handy.)

• Step outdoors for 60 seconds Get some oxygen.

• Read one nourishing line For example; Rudolf Steiner: “Seek the truly practical life, but seek it so that it does not blind you to the spirit.”

Under long term pressure, the brain becomes frenetic. The brain’s frontal lobe can go on the fritz and short-term memory can short circuit. You can misread tone. You can tend to assume the worst. You can overreact to tiny things. This is not character weakness it is an ancient defence mechanism misfiring. The cure is not “calm down”; it is awareness + micro-regulation (using the tiny tips above).

Stress is not only psychological; it is architectural. The body reacts to space before the mind explains why. The Architectural Principles in the Service of Trauma-Informed Design (2021) report (https://shopworksarc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Arc-Principles-in-the-Service-of-TID.pdf) explains that:

Stress increases in environments with:

• visual noise

• unclear circulation

• institutional lighting

• aggressive acoustics

• lack of sensory boundaries

And it softens when spaces provide:

• choice and control

• warm materials

• levels of privacy

• coherent wayfinding

• humane thresholds

• sensory modulation

• predictable patterns of interaction

Architecture is about shaping places for humans, remember to give ourselves the same care. We know what we need, this is all really a reminder and waiting another day, week, month or year is always going to be too late. (The cobbler’s children are rarely shod.)  I have an architect friend that used a knife instead of door handle for years, this is a great example of living in stress mode. Funny but not recommended. Stress can be a reality of creative work which needs to be delicately managed and being burnt out is not a sign of success. Take care out there. One day at a time.  

N.B. If your stress is persistent, affecting your sleep, concentration, appetite, physical health, or ability to work or enjoy daily life, please speak with your GP or a qualified health professional.