10 Yoga Principles You Should Apply in Web Design (Even if You’re Not a Yoga Fan)
In recent years yoga has become rather popular in many countries. It focuses on minds and physical perfection, so it matches people with different activity levels. Today we’d like to try to apply yoga principles in web design and to see how to improve your workdays.
When starting writing this post we had no idea how to bring yoga principles into web design world but now we’re versed in it and we’re ready to share our ideas to you.
1. Stop Being Violent
This first basic principle means that you should be peaceful. It sounds quite natural for web designers because they don’t kill animals at work and don’t discharge people from office. But try to remember what are you doing when the image you’re working at for hours still looks weird? We bet you’re swearing on it! The situation is rather clumsy – there is no sense to cry on a computer, but most of us do it with pleasure.
Interested how it can help you at work? When you feel ok you are able to successfully communicate with people (clients and team members) and to create better projects. Inner harmony is important, so don’t start working when something goes wrong. Take a breath, calm yourself (sometimes it helps) and then start to create the next masterpiece.
2. Be Honest
Whether you’re a freelance designer or an office clerk your life will be easier if being honest with your surroundings. Thus you can avoid excessive expectations of the clients and save your nerves and time.
The idea is not so simple as you may think. Just a note: an average man tells a lie 6 times a day and a woman – triply. We used lying for years and it can be hard to avoid it.
There is also another aspect that can become a troublemaker. It’s you. Sometimes you (everybody of us) find 100s of reasons not to do work right now and put off the decision making moment. Voluntarily you stray from your goals. There is no sense in it but you drop a brick again and again. Try to think of this problem and to stop acting wrong. You’ll see that your business is much easier than you used to think.
3. Follow Moral Laws
Most of people know that stealing a thing is a crime and it is forbidden by law. However, when it comes to non-material goods this statement can be easily ignored. Intellectual property and author rights are often neglected and it causes great troubles for web users.
Watermarks, social media, privacy policy can partially save you from unfair competitors but sometimes they mean nothing and you have to spend weeks and hundreds of dollars to prove that the content was raped. Yoga gurus say that it spoils karma. You know what karma is, right? So don’t join the community of bad guys who steal articles, spam here and there and insult feelings of other web surfers.
4. Stop Being an Egoist
When you accept yoga principles you have to understand that it will apply all aspects of you life. If you’re considered to be the best web designer in your town it doesn’t mean you’re the king. There are a lot of professionals who are as good as you or even better.
Moreover, online sphere is a rather changeable space and it may happen that in a few weeks your skills and knowledge won’t be in demand. Several years ago Flash developers were the coolest programmers. Nobody could imagine that the situation could be changed because of a single person – Steve Jobs. The same can happen anytime.
Be more friendly and respect people around you! Remember you’re not the one and your work will be more pleasant and less stressful if dealing with people well.
5. Don’t Be Greedy
Greed is one of 7 deadly sins that everybody experiences from time to time. When you work on the web you see a lot of goods and deals that seem to be vital for your workspace or living. A desire to have all of them causes a lot of unnecessary purchases and a lack of money at the end of the period (month, quarter). You don’t really need all those things from the web so let other people get them.
If you work for money you lose life that passes by. You’ll never be able to return these days, so do your best to balance working hours and leisure time. Don’t be afraid to let somebody earn a penny instead of you.
6. Keep Up Clearness
From the early childhood your mother told you to take bath regularly. We won’t remind you about the necessity of this procedure but we hope you don’t smell like a skunk :).
The idea of this principle is to keep your workplace clean. The clearness around you will produce the mental order and improve logical thinking.
Don’t turn your back on this yoga principle, especially if you’re a freelancer. When working from home there are a lot of things that keep you distracted – food, snacks, TV, etc. Try to leave all these elements out of the room and out of your mind. Thus you’ll be more concentrated on work and get better results.
7. Don’t Complain
The 7th yoga principle means that you should be satisfied with your job, status and salary. Have any troubles with those things? Stand up and do something to improve the situation! Sign up for new coerces, talk to your boss about bonuses, find a new job or an underworking.
Yoga fans don’t allow foolish things to destroy their balance. They put up with the uncomfortable situation or try to change it to their good. Anyway, there is no need to worry or grow hysterical.
8. Discipline Yourself
If you have a goal and want to reach it you should have a plan and follow its steps systematically. It requires self discipline and strength of will. Those who created Google or Windows had to work 24 hours a day even when nobody believed in them. This is a hard test for the most lucky ones and if you’re able to stand up you’ll be a winner.
9. Regularly Educate Yourself
When we were students it was rather natural to have homeworks and to learn new things daily. But as time goes by a lot of us become tired of the constant learning and give up this habit.
Internet is a changeable space where you should be flexible and adaptive. You can’t allow yourself to stop making progress because there is an army of coders, designers and blogger who want to take your place on the market.
10. Be Happy
This is probably the most significant yoga principle that everybody should apply into life.
When you’re not pleased with what you’re doing every day you can’t do it good enough. It’s pity to say but if web design becomes oppressive you should take a break from working or find an alternative job (we hope you’ll choose a few holidays).
When you’re not pleased with the everyday reality more likely your clients and team members will also feel it and try to conflict with you. Don’t allow such stressful situations and you’ll get into the satisfaction with yourself!
You can also interpret yoga principles another way. We’ll be glad to know your point of view because the subject is quite disputable. You’re welcome to add your own corrections and get peaceful and happy workdays!