Why Taking Work Less Seriously Can Make You Better at It

There’s a phrase I always say to my team, to the people I’ve worked with, and to myself: we’re not doctors, we’re not firefighters, and we’re not police officers. No one is going to die if something goes wrong. It sounds simple, but it’s the reminder I always come back to when things get stressful.

Working in communication, creative strategy, or digital marketing can feel intense. There are deadlines, last-minute changes, expectations, and pressure, sometimes more than necessary. But most of the time, the urgency we feel isn’t real urgency. It’s the result of putting too much emotional weight on things that can actually be solved calmly.

This doesn’t mean we’re not committed. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. It means we’ve learned that overreacting doesn’t help anyone, not us, not our team, not our clients. Taking things too seriously can lead to burnout, unnecessary stress, and tension. It creates drama, and drama isn’t good for business or for your nervous system.

So how do we take things a little lighter, without being careless?

First, we remind ourselves that most things can be solved. A campaign can be rescheduled. A design can be tweaked. A deadline can be renegotiated. Clarity doesn’t come from chaos, it comes from calm. I’ve never solved anything faster or better by panicking. I’ve solved things by taking a step back, talking them through, and focusing on solutions instead of spinning around the problem.

Second, we learn to laugh. Humor is not unprofessional. It’s human. Being able to laugh at the small things, at ourselves, or at how seriously we took a minor issue, helps release tension and reconnects us with reality. Not everything is that deep.

Third, we build a work culture that values communication over perfection. We don’t need drama to feel important. We need dialogue, problem-solving, and space to say, “This isn’t working. Let’s find another way.”

It also helps to know what’s really urgent and what just feels urgent. Not everything deserves your full adrenaline. Ask yourself: will this matter tomorrow? Will it matter next week? Most of the time, the answer is no.

Taking things less seriously doesn’t mean not doing your job well. It means doing your job with more awareness, more clarity, and more care. Not everything is personal. Not everything is a crisis. And you’re allowed to take a breath before reacting.

At The Inmediato, I try to bring this mindset into the way we work. We take care of the details. We plan. We commit. But we also remember that we’re human. That energy matters. And that you can be serious about your work without making it your entire identity.

So if today feels heavy, I’ll remind you the same way I remind myself: we’re not saving lives. We’re communicating, creating, and growing. And we’ll do it better if we take the pressure off, just a little.

Let me know if this resonates with you or if you’ve found your own way to stay grounded.  And if you ever need help building a brand with clarity (and without chaos), I’m here. Always happy to help.