Isolation Although many web designers are attracted to the autonomy and flexibility of the job, the independent nature of the work can be isolating. Social relationships and connections are vital to both mental and physical health. When these connections are missing after a twelve-hour day working on a layout, a web designer may be left feeling lonely and in need of conversation. Over time, this type of isolation and loneliness can lead to depression. Isolation is also unhealthy for designers because many creative, intelligent people need outside stimuli to keep their ideas and inspiration flowing. Overworking Web design culture can be intense – long workdays mean missed hours of sleep, nutrition from the vending machine, and an unused gym membership. When there’s no time for self-care, a cycle begins that keeps you more and more stressed and more and more unwell. Unfortunately, the environments where designers work often frown on taking time away from a project to perform these critical self-care tasks. Imposter Syndrome And Rejection Designers are often intelligent overachievers who can internalise their performance and success. Unfortunately, this puts designers at risk for “imposter syndrome,” the name for the feeling that a person may have that they are a fraud and don’t deserve their accomplishments. In addition, design culture is often an uncertainty between criticism and praise, a jumble of experiences that can challenge a designer’s feelings of self-worth.    Unlike many other professions, the nature of a designer’s work is reliant on rejection. Therefore, multiple feedback phases need to be incorporated into designs to achieve the best possible end product. This can be challenging for designers who are sensitive to negative feedback. Although negative feedback can ultimately lead to great work, it can also chip away at a designer’s self-esteem. Inadequate Coping Tools Web designers are stressed, losing sleep, and eating poorly. If there’s so little room for basic self-care in designer culture, there certainly isn’t time for a therapy appointment where a designer can learn helpful coping tools. Instead, many designers turn to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate, the unhealthiest way to handle stress. Unfortunately, ad agencies and design culture often perpetuate this problematic behaviour with happy hours and open bars.