Probably, the greatest battle a new tester faces after passing the onboarding courses is to start real testing with real customers. Worry or anxiety is the most common feeling we experience when we don’t know what the future holds for us. Anxiety is naturally good in normal doses. “A certain degree of anxiety can help people anticipate obstacles, remain cautious, and stay organized,” – Ellen Hendriksen, Clinical Psychologist. However, excess worry can be concerning and disruptive.
So, how can we deal with worry?
- Practice relaxation techniques. Relaxing is the most common way to relieve us from many negative emotions including worry. It calms the nervous system and reduces the production of stress hormones aiding us in times of unpleasant events. Want to know more about relaxation techniques? Check this article: https://testiovn.com/index.php/2024/04/10/breathing-techniques-for-stress-and-anxiety/
- Direct your attention towards aspects within your control. If you are worrying too much that it becomes a threat to your peace of mind, it might help to take a break and focus on things you can manage. Feeling empowered results from giving our attention to things we can control, this does not mean though that we should give up on things that make us worry. It is just a matter of balance.
- Engage in physical activity. Several studies suggest that regular exercise can help deal with worry. After physical activity, our body releases feel-good endorphins a natural brain chemical that can elevate our mood, relieving us from present worries
- Set a worry time. I know it sounds weird, but it helps! Setting a worry time can significantly reduce the constant worrying you feel during the rest of the day. It trains our minds to set aside worry and helps us focus on our current tasks.
- Get enough sleep Scientific studies show that “lack of sleep can lead to anxiety, and anxiety can lead to sleep deprivation.” It’s a cycle, isn’t it? However, the impact of prolonged periods of sleep problems is higher, it can greatly increase the chance of having anxiety disorders.
Now that we tackled how to overcome and deal with worry, how do we start testing? It is important to start small. In a test cycle, you can start by first doing bug reproductions. As you familiarize yourself with the terms of test and guidelines then you can gradually construct bug reports. This can help you feel less overwhelmed and make it easier to get started. In previous articles, we also discussed the 5-minute rule, where you will time yourself for 5 minutes in starting a task. When the timer runs out you can either continue or stop. This is one of the best ways to help us start and motivate ourselves. I hope this article helps you start testing! Remember, it is a process it might take time, but if you try, you will always get there. Good luck and crash an app.