How to Stay Positive While Working in Fashion

Whether it’s a position at a small business or a job at a major international brand, working in fashion can take quite a mental toll on you and you might find yourself discouraged. While working as a social media intern for a popular clothing brand in NYC can seem like a dream job, there’s tons of days where I think negative thoughts such as “I’m not good enough to work here” or “I’m exhausted, maybe this isn’t for me”. In the wise words of Ezra Fitz (yes I’m totally going to quote a line from Pretty Little Liars but hey it’s a good one!): “Life isn’t always romantic, sometimes it’s realistic”. Somehow I’ve managed to stay positive through this ridiculously difficult learning process and thought I should share some of my best tips with you gals:

Count Your Blessings 

Think about it: many people dream about working in fashion or even having a job that pays decent (or gives good experience in my case). Take some time to really reflect and be grateful and if you find that this doesn’t work, then at least make a list of all the good things about your job and keep that list with you at all times. I’ve found that during my lowest moments, this list always made me feel better.

Remember The Times When You Didn’t Have The Job 

Before I landed my internship, I remember sitting in classrooms and dreaming about having an exciting internship in a big city. I never would’ve thought that I would actually achieve my dream so why am I complaining so much now?

Do Something Relaxing During Your Break Or After Work

If I’m having a really bad day, I’ll go to my favorite coffee shop for an iced coffee and something sugary, sit in a quiet corner in front of the window, and just people watch. I can’t tell you how much that relaxes me and clears my thoughts! It’s just something I always look forward to and I always seem to come back to work more positive. Plus I got food in my system and food just always makes me happy haha.

Roll It Off Your Back 

This one I used to have a lot of trouble with but I’ve gotten better at it especially after this internship. I always seemed to be the one that has no back bone and is super sensitive. I used to think that it’s just the way I am and that I can’t change it. It’s not a bad thing to care a lot right? So wrong. It could lead to burn-out which is the most awful thing in the world and I’m pretty sure about 90% of NYC suffers from it. It’s just not worth it and can even lead to physical illnesses. Take a deep breath, remember that it’s not the end of the world if you make a mistake, and keep going. You’re not the first person in this world to make a mistake at work and you definitely won’t be the last.

Hope these tips helped! What are some ways that you stay positive at work? I’d love to know!

-Ruya