The Emotional Side of UX Research: Staying Grounded Through User Interviews

David
4 Oct, 2025

 A detailed researcher’s checklist is at the end of the article. Save it to conduct interviews efficiently and with self-care in mind.


Hello everybody. My name is Boris Yuzefpolsky, I’m Head of UX Research at ETG Group (Travel Tech). We have a small, distributed research team that conducts both qualitative and quantitative studies.

During a recent team call, I noticed how visibly tired everyone looked. The problem wasn’t general exhaustion or complicated processes — it was that almost all of us had interviews, user tests, or work meetings scheduled in the morning. And by midday, everyone already felt completely drained.

At that moment, I realized that interacting with users — which requires active listening and full engagement — was more exhausting than I’d ever admitted to myself. At the same time, every evening at home, my family is waiting for me, and I need to be present and engaged for them too — but on days filled with meetings or interviews, I have no energy left at all.

And then it hit me: if it’s this hard for me — someone with experience — to recover after a series of interviews, imagine how tough it must be for the whole team (and they’re conducting research more often than I am right now). One of my responsibilities is to help the team stay energized and utilize their resources effectively. And I’ll tell you, it’s not easy. Every day, I see how much effort my colleagues put in to maintain their productivity — especially when they need to dive deep into the context of a problem while also communicating extensively with other teams.

Most materials on conducting qualitative research teach empathy toward users, but they overlook the emotions of the researcher — their anxiety, potential burnout, and even fear. I remember reading an article stating that in tech companies, more than 30% of employees avoid conducting live interviews, delegating them to their more extroverted colleagues. At the very least, this creates potential gaps in the data and missed insights; at worst, it can lead to complete employee burnout.

It’s been many years since I conducted my first user interviews, but I still remember checking my list of questions again and again, adjusting the camera, fidgeting in my chair, and constantly thinking: “I’m definitely going to ask a stupid question, the respondent will think I’m an embarrassment, and they’ll cut ties with us. And it’ll be my fault.” It was incredibly uncomfortable and stressful — and that’s whilst knowing I had experience in journalism, public speaking, and generally had a pretty good sense of self-irony.

In psychology, this state is called social anxiety, and it occurs when we feel judged or face uncertainty. According to the American Psychiatric Association, about 12% of people experience situations like this at some point in their lives — and I suspect the percentage is even higher among researchers and employees who work directly with people. In qualitative UX research, we ask questions to a stranger who might judge us, reject us, or be disappointed — and our brain perceives this as a potential threat.

Research shows that social interaction is one of the strongest cognitive loads. It’s likely an echo of evolution: thousands of years ago, a mistake in communication could cost you your life (displease the chief → get expelled from the tribe → die of hunger or from a saber-toothed squirrel bite), and our brains still respond to dialogue as if it were a threat.

As for my own experience, you’d think that after dozens of conversations with strangers, the fear would eventually go away. But every time, despite having a plan and spending a long time preparing, I never know if I’ll be able to get the interviewee to open up and uncover something interesting. Yes, experience helps me ask precise questions and sense the agenda, but the anxiety hasn’t gone away — it has simply evolved.

For example, in UX research, I encountered a new layer of challenges: technical terms that must not be misused, as well as cultural and age-related barriers — especially when interviewing children. Users often came in irritated because of bugs in the product, and this resulted in the extra challenge of warming them up to me as a product representative.

Interviews are one of the most powerful tools to understand users. But even experienced researchers (let’s not point fingers, but that’s me) sometimes find dozens of reasons to “hold off for now.”

It’s not laziness by any means; it’s just the way our brain works — it’s not a fan of uncertainty. And in interviews, it’s all over the place: how will the person behave? What are they going to say? Will they admit to the pain, or will they remain silent? A researcher steps out of the safe state of control and into a situation where they need to be attentive, empathetic, engaged, interesting, improvisational — essentially, a jack of all trades. It even sounds complicated.

But in reality, there’s always that lingering fear of messing up — and then subconsciously blaming yourself for every hiccup that follows.

However, behind all this discomfort lie truly valuable moments — when you’re not just giving users your time and attention but also helping them discover something important for themselves.

Next, I will share in detail the experiences that helped me at different stages of an interview. I also talked to my colleagues: every business unit at ETG has an experienced UX researcher. Their recommendations will be useful for anyone who talks to users or wants to start talking to them but feels a barrier. These quotes are not just about work, but about humanity.

Experience shared:

  • Polina, B2B researcher
  • Natasha, hotel product researcher
  • Dasha, B2B research team lead
  • Danya, wholesaler/extranet researcher
  • Liza, B2C researcher

Even if you have conducted over a thousand interviews, preparing is a necessary step that can’t be missed. That’s because no two users are the same — they have different contexts, different emotions, different attitudes toward your company, different locations, and so on.

Don’t assume that missing a few details will lead to disaster. This panic is simply misplaced perfectionism paralyzing progress. No matter how thoroughly you prepare, there will always be things you can’t anticipate — and that’s perfectly normal. Gather about 60–80% of the basic information (role, experience, current context), and leave the rest for the blind spots you’ll uncover during the conversation.

In international interviews, even an innocent gesture can derail the dialogue or steer it in an unconstructive direction. It is impossible to prepare 100% for the fact that the person in front of you has a different background.

“When preparing, I run through phrases from the script and read the CRM profile on the interviewee. In general, I do whatever helps reduce uncertainty and structure the future interview. Ten minutes before the interview, I sit in silence and tune into my breath. A confident start is the key to success.”

“I almost always start with a guide dry run, but not a formal one — more like a session where my team and I (usually with the product team) walk through the entire flow together, especially if the prototype is complex. I take a piece of paper and make notes: on each screen, I consider what is important to ask, what nuances to clarify. It’s not just a script, but a visual map of the interview. Not only do I memorize better that way, but I also get rid of the fear of missing something important.”

“In Southeast Asia, participants can walk into an interview literally from anywhere: from a scooter, from the kitchen, from the street. At first, it seems disrespectful, the wrong setting, but you quickly realize: it’s just their cultural norm. And even if you ask in advance to find a quiet place, it doesn’t always work. The main thing is to accept that different audiences have different habits; prepare for it in advance, and be flexible rather than frustrated. It’s important to decide for yourself whether you’re comfortable interviewing in that environment.”

“I often notice the phrase ‘Inshallah’ in the Muslim world and sometimes use it in response. It doesn’t elicit much of a reaction, but it helps to put it into context. I didn’t face complex cultural blocks, but I haven’t worked with Asian respondents yet either. There might have been other nuances there.”

Once you’ve assembled the first mosaic — who’s in front of you, what context they’re in, what hurts, what their business is working on — the next logical step emerges. You need to know all this, not just for general awareness but to turn your understanding of the context into questions that will help you avoid staying on the surface during the interview and actually get to the core of things. At this stage, a shift happens: you’re no longer just preparing for the meeting — you’re starting to build a roadmap, moving from hypotheses, research goals, and those “I’m not sure how to ask this” moments toward a real, meaningful conversation. This is when all your observations and hunches turn into formulations that will determine whether or not a person will reveal themselves.

My advice is to never assume that your questions will be stupid. I don’t mean questions that can initially be composed relatively well with the help of an LLM in the preparation stage, but questions that arise in the process. The worst thing you can do is ask nothing at all. Try saying, “Do I understand correctly that…?”, then pause — most respondents will naturally expand on their thoughts.

It’s best to prepare for neutral questions (for example, about using the product), in-depth questions (about the broader context of using the product or something personal), and provocative questions (for example, suggesting closing access to the product to gauge the user’s reaction).

“At first I was particularly anxious in B2B interviews: it felt like partners would perceive me as silly. That feeling went away once I improved my self-introduction: I now clearly explain who I am and why I’m asking these questions, and I also make it clear that my wording might sound simple, but what matters to me is hearing the users’ opinions. That honesty defuses the situation and relieves tension on both sides.”

“With interviews in Russian and English, I’m usually comfortable. But one day, I was considering interviewing in German and realized I couldn’t. Thinking through the questions, the language barrier — everything was too anxiety-inducing. I ended up giving up on the idea, and that’s an OK decision, too.”

“It’s hard when the subject matter is difficult. For example, I’m currently researching an API. Even after a few months in the product, I may not understand something. Two techniques help here. First, I do a bit of mini-research on the respondent’s company beforehand to better understand their context. Second, I ask a teammate to join the interview and send me private messages during the session if something seems off or needs clarification.”

It’s important to try to “break the ice” here. First, try to find something common but neutral (e.g., weather, discussing the respondent’s place of residence, travel — but avoid sensitive topics like politics). Secondly, show the interviewee that you’re truly listening rather than just following a script: respond to their comments, ask clarifying questions, and express emotions — even if it’s just small talk before the main conversation.

“Nowadays, almost all interviews are online, and they often start with something mundane. For example, if the respondent says “good morning,” I might reply: “In my part of the globe, it’s already daytime” — this creates a light, informal start. Sometimes we even talk about where we live or what the weather is like. But I always gauge the vibe first: if the person is serious and wants to get straight to the point, I don’t drag it out — I just say, “Thank you for joining,” and we move right into the interview. For me, breaking the ice is not a formula, but an observation: whether or not a person is ready for small talk. Sometimes it’s better to get straight to the point: don’t impose a script, but be alive.”

“I ask the usual set of questions: where do you live, what do you do, what are you passionate about. This gives the respondent the freedom to say exactly what they want to tell you. Sometimes, if I feel we have similar backgrounds (like language or liberal arts education), I make it explicit so that trust can build more quickly.”

“I try to be as warm as possible: I smile, emphasize that this is not an exam, just a conversation. Sometimes I just say out loud, ‘Don’t worry, it’s just a conversation.’ It works, the tension goes away.”

There are a million different pieces of advice that can be given in this piece that will work for some people and won’t for others. Everyone has their own fears, and these are mine:

  • to lose the point and the thread of the conversation and go off on a tangent;
  • not being able to get the respondent to talk, and thus not being able to gather valuable detail.

In each case, I’ve developed practical solutions that work for me — and they might be helpful for you as well. I pause every 5–10 minutes or after each question and make some sort of summary of what was said, “Did I understand correctly that…” Sometimes I get it wrong, and the respondent corrects me, summarizing in his own words, without my interpretation. It also helps to get further in depth: sometimes summarizing reveals new details that the respondent did not recall at first.

You don’t need long “dramatic” pauses, but in general, it’s a great tool to get most respondents talking. I was surprised to learn how differently people from different cultures handle pauses. Some feel comfortable and just wait their turn in the dialogue, others get nervous and start filling the silence with information (not always relevant). With larger samples, you can notice that certain behavior patterns may be more common among respondents from a specific country or region — in my experience, users from southern countries tend to be less patient with pauses.

You can agree on short pauses in the conversation (just a few seconds) in advance, and honestly, this has never caused any issues. Managing silence is a very powerful skill: often, it’s during those pauses that respondents, trying to avoid awkwardness, end up sharing more than they would in a tightly structured conversation.

“If I lose focus, I go back to the script or pause. I often say things like, “I’d like to clarify…” or “You mentioned an important topic — could you tell me more about it?” This gently gets the conversation back on track. Sometimes, if the language barrier gets in the way (especially with Brits when they are speaking fast) and I feel like I can’t go any deeper, I just move on to the next topic.”

“I always keep the guide handy and listen carefully, so I never actually ‘lose the thread.’ There are times when the answer takes me away from the planned logic, and then I just don’t get stuck on it; I move on. Nothing critical.”

Problematic situations can happen even if you are 146% prepared for the interview. A respondent might initially be unhappy with the service, their personal circumstances, or simply not be in the mood — in such cases, almost anything can trigger conflict or lead to passive aggression during the conversation. I then ask for a pause and clarify whether I have understood the respondent correctly, but I always try to be calm. If conflict or emotions continue to run high, it is better to offer to postpone the interview.

“Sometimes respondents behave in a rude or condescending manner. Then I turn on professional observer mode: focusing on the content of the answers, not the tone or face. It helps to hold on to structure and just smile back — it’s disarming and takes the person out of their defensive stance.”

“There are times when sarcasm, a dismissive tone, or jokes are out of place. It’s times like this that I remind myself that this is work and we probably won’t meet again. I often explain why we’re here by saying something like, “Some questions may seem obvious, but it’s important for me to understand the details.” It puts the conversation back into a constructive framework and reduces tension.”

“Sometimes the dislike is not for the person, but for their behavior. Like when someone responds with ‘screw you’ and thinks they are smarter. That’s when I switch on my inner moderator and say, “Okay, maybe I don’t know everything about your business, but I definitely know what I want to find out.” It helps not to get caught up in the anxiety. But if the situation is totally out of line (for example, the person came in with a beer and is rude), I wrap up the interview, thank them, and finish.”

I often encountered aggressive behavior from respondents back when I was a journalist. Now I handle such situations calmly and with humor, as part of the process. An internal switch helps: I’m not here for me, I’m here for the user experience. Their aggression is their problem.

When it comes to awkward moments, the most common one in international research is not understanding the respondent and feeling embarrassed to ask for clarification. Obviously, everyone speaks with different accents, and some respondents can be really hard to understand — don’t just endure it. At the start of the interview, give yourself permission to ask for clarification by saying something like, “My English isn’t perfect, so let’s try to speak at a moderate pace, and I may pause occasionally to ask you to repeat something.”

“It can be difficult in a situation where the respondent speaks almost no English and has poor comprehension. The pace unravels, I’m forced to think about how to simplify the words, what to save time on, and what to squeeze out of the interview after all. I check boxes for myself: what exactly needs to be discussed, what insights can still be gained. It helps keep you motivated and not give up in the middle.”

Interviewing users is often seen as a professional obligation — especially in B2B settings or when hard-to-reach participants are involved. In those cases, cancelling can feel almost unacceptable. But the truth is that the researcher is also a human being. There are times when you’re out of focus, out of resources, out of yourself, and it’s hard to hear the other person in that state.

If I’m emotionally drained, I’ll decline the interview if possible. In that state, I can’t truly hear the participant — I might miss opportunities to ask clarifying questions or misinterpret their answers through the lens of my own exhaustion. When cancelling isn’t an option, I try to find a replacement or involve a second researcher who can step in if I’m not at my best.

“Sometimes I feel exhausted: at those times, I put off scheduling an interview for a day or two. This helps to restore curiosity and not turn communication into a mechanical procedure. But I rarely reschedule an interview unless I’m sick. I feel responsible to the participants, especially in B2B.”

“Sometimes something inside gets triggered — for example, personal circumstances or emotions. But I switch my focus: I concentrate on the task, immerse myself in the script, and remind myself why I’m doing this. All of this helps me regain my balance.”

“I once had neighbors start yelling and fighting right during an interview. I had to pause the call, step in, take a moment to catch my breath, explain to the respondent what had happened, and only then continue. It was very hard. But honestly, taking a moment to breathe and giving a brief explanation helped restore the connection.”

“There were moments when I literally cried before an interview, especially during difficult personal periods. But then my internal mode would switch on: “Work is work — I’ll cry later.” One time, I had a mental breakdown right before an interview, but I still conducted the session, answered the tough questions, and, in the end, it even gave me a sense of satisfaction. At times like this, it helps to just collect yourself and remember: I’m still doing fine.”

I know researchers for whom the “finish line” in interviews or tests brings neither joy nor relief. Some even panic that the respondent will ask for something the researcher can’t provide. I’ve felt that too but now I always have a phrase ready: “Unfortunately, I can’t solve this personally, but I’ll pass it on to the team.” I also make a point of following up with at least one update, or until someone from Customer Success contacts them directly.

It matters to me that respondents leave the interview with more than they arrived with — whether that’s a new insight, a shift in perspective, a resolved internal tension, or even just a useful reflection on a difficult situation. When that happens, I truly feel the value of our work. And yes, I still hesitate– but sometimes I ask directly, “Tell me honestly, was our interview valuable to you personally? Any answer would be helpful to me.”

While interviews often end in a formal way, what follows is rarely so neat. There’s a period of reflection: reviewing what was said, facial expressions, moments missed, questions unasked, and sometimes a flood of impostor syndrome. I’ve had sessions that lasted just 30 minutes, but as soon as I hit stop recording, I felt completely spent. And that’s when a rarely discussed but vital stage begins: post-interview recovery. The process of getting back to yourself.

Every researcher has their own way of getting back to normal: some retreat into silence, some dive straight into transcribing, some hug their dog, and others go for a walk. These practices are about more than just switching off or taking a break — they’re ways to preserve yourself in the profession.

The main thing I realized for myself is that immediately after the interview, you can’t just run away somewhere and do something. I prefer to be reflective — going over the conversation in my head, remembering interesting twists and turns, letting ideas settle in. But I don’t analyze mistakes right away: it’s better to do it later, when the emotional involvement is gone. Then the conclusions will be more objective.

“Between interviews, I give myself at least half an hour: go to another room, get a drink of water, hug my dog. I don’t do more than 4–5 interviews a day. After a busy day, I try not to talk even to my loved ones — I need some silent time and to reboot.”

“It’s important for me to start transcribing right after the interview, while not only the words but also the emotions, tone, and facial expressions are still fresh in my mind. It helps me ground myself and shift into a calmer mode. If the interview was tough, I just stare out the window for five minutes with no phone or chats. I don’t get tired after two interviews in a row, but after three or more work calls, I’m drained. I think there’s an individual sensitivity: some people recover faster, and some people, like my vendor friend, find interviews just unbearable.”

Every interview is not just the user’s story — it’s also a reflection of our own. In these conversations, we often come face-to-face with ourselves. — fatigue, unrealistic expectations, and persistent anxiety can surface without warning. It’s a kind of therapy, and every researcher should pause now and then to ask: How is this work affecting me? What do I feel after walking out of an interview — or after conducting dozens? How can I stay energised if I absorb everything I hear? Where are my boundaries — and how do I protect them?

The next section is exactly about that: the inner work that begins after the interview. The practices that help you avoid burnout, stay curious, and continue to connect — genuinely — with the people you’re speaking to.

Conducting a UX interview demands inclusion, empathy, and deep focus. It’s intense, often draining — yet strangely, we don’t talk about that part out loud. So how do you keep going without burning out? How do you stay grounded when the work pulls so much from within?

“It’s normal to feel exhausted after an interview. And not say anything about it, too. Most importantly, admit it at least to yourself, and listen to your resources. If you feel you’re running out of steam, pause, shorten the length of your sessions, trim the excess. That’s okay, too.”

“I think it’s important to pick the number of interviews per day that the researcher is realistically comfortable with. Everyone has different lives, different workloads, and the norm will be different, too. For me, for example, it has decreased a lot simply because the volume of other tasks has increased. If it’s okay for you to do three interviews a day rather than four or five, then do three. And don’t compare yourself to others.”

“I guess not everyone needs to necessarily share their exhaustion. But I notice how I myself feel better when I recognize that others are having a hard time, too. So my advice would be to just ask your colleagues more often how their interviews are going, how they’re handling it. Chances are, you’re facing similar things. So after a discussion, it becomes easier to let go of expectations of yourself.”

“Honestly, it’s worth learning to talk about your needs. Silence and patience are simply ineffective because it takes twice as much effort. Sometimes you have to honestly ask yourself: Do I really want to do the interview? Maybe it’s not necessary at all and can be delegated? Or at least try a soft format, like just listening to a couple of recorded interviews if your resources are at zero. It must be your decision, not an obligation, because you have to.’”

“If interviews are exhausting, that’s no reason to suffer in silence. Discuss it with a mentor, with peers, in any safe environment. Often, it’s not just interview fatigue behind it, but overall communication overload. Then it’s important to find ways to recover, something that truly revitalizes you. And also tailor the number of interviews to your condition, language, and product.”

Researchers often can’t answer this question right away — it’s a tough one that requires real reflection. I used to tell myself: don’t just aim to moderate. Try to be present, engaged, and genuinely curious, because that’s the kind of interviewer people open up to. The more you let go of being the “perfect interviewer,” the easier it becomes to truly connect with participants.

“If you don’t finish something, it’s not the end of the world. You’d rather notice the cool stuff you come up with as the interview progresses and how you grow in the role.”

“You don’t need to be afraid that the respondent is super fragile and will ‘break’ from one more question. They came for an hour, got paid for it, and in that moment they’re also at work — so it’s completely reasonable to expect honest and thoughtful answers. You’re not asking for favours, you’re both here to work.”

“I would say to myself, it’s not a scary respondent sitting in front of you, it’s just a person. You can even have fun with them, especially if you speak the same language and have a similar cultural context. We’re all human, and if you know how to talk to people, just go do it.”

Liza

“I wasn’t afraid of interviews in general, but I was worried that I wasn’t doing them well enough. Now I would say to myself: it’s totally okay to not be smart right away. It would be weird if you were doing perfect interviews and gathering all the insights the first time around. Learning is part of the job, too.”

Natasha

“It helped me a lot to go to interviews with more experienced colleagues and watch recordings. I noted the wording and icebreakers I liked, what I would like to use. You can see that everyone does things differently: some give 20 minutes to ‘warm up’, others get straight to the point. I tried different approaches and saw what felt more natural to me, even if it was a little cringe-worthy at first.”

This checklist will help you prepare for the interview, handle challenges along the way, and take care of your emotional well-being.

1) Preparing for the interview and reducing anxiety

  • Study the participant’s profile and context: gather about 60–80% of the basic information in advance (role, experience, current context, and specifics of the respondent’s company). Especially important in complex topics (API, B2B, public sector).
  • Prepare a guide and say it out loud: this helps to warm up your voice, reduce uncertainty in wording, and test your logic.
  • Do a pre-run with the team: going through the guide and prototype together reduces the fear of forgetting or missing something.
  • Draw a visual map: create a diagram of screens or key questions so you have a visual anchor.
  • Test the script on a colleague or acquaintance: this will help you get a feel for the rhythm and dynamics of the interview.
  • Set aside 10 minutes of silence before the interview: use breathing techniques to center yourself so you don’t “rush in on the go” and can start with confidence.
  • Accept that you can’t know everything, and that’s okay. The rest will unfold in the conversation.
  • 2) Overcoming difficulties and improvising during an interview
  • Start with an “icebreaker”: begin with something technical (“Can you hear me okay?”). Then give a brief self-introduction.
  • Explain your role and method: clearly tell the respondent who you are, why you’re asking questions, and why you’re using simple wording. This takes the pressure off, especially in B2B.
  • Use safe questions: invite the respondent to talk about themselves or their projects; this sets a relaxed tone.
  • Pay attention to the vibe: is the person wanting small talk, or do they prefer to get straight to the point? Be flexible.
  • Take pauses: they not only help you focus but also encourage the respondent to talk more.
  • Don’t panic if something goes wrong: if the prototype doesn’t work or it turns out the respondent isn’t a good fit for this particular study, test something available or suggest rescheduling the interview. Acknowledge the issue openly, but make sure to relieve the respondent of any sense of guilt.
  • Gently steer the conversation back on track: if it drifts off-topic, use phrases like “May I ask how this relates to…?” or “Let’s circle back to the task for a moment…”
  • Use “loops”: refer back to what the respondent has said with phrases like “You mentioned that…” or “I’m curious, how does that relate to…?”
  • Rely on the visual context: if the script isn’t available, ask questions based on what you see, for example, “You’re on this screen right now — what’s important to you here?”
  • Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions or request repetition — this is especially important if the respondent speaks with an accent or uses unfamiliar terms. “Did I understand correctly that…” is a great tool.
  • If the topic doesn’t “click”, move on: sometimes it’s better not to push it, especially when you feel you can’t go any deeper.
  • Prepare a draft of an alternative scenario in advance: it will help in case the main plan does not go as expected.
  • Focus gently when extra participants appear: politely explain that you need to focus on one interviewee to have a successful interview.
  • Determine your norm: It is usually difficult to qualitatively conduct more than 4–5 interviews per day. Your norm may be less — focus on your physical and emotional state.
  • Don’t fill your interview day with other tasks: if you’ve already scheduled as many meetings as possible for you, postpone other projects.
  • Define 2–3 key goals for the interview: this will help you avoid a failed session, even if something goes wrong.
  • Think of the interview as a dialogue with an interesting conversation partner: this helps reduce anxiety.
  • Turn on professional observer mode: focus on the content of the answers rather than the tone or face of the respondent.
  • Smile and continue calmly: a polite response reduces tension.
  • Maintain a professional stance and confidence: remind yourself why you are here.
  • If boundaries are critically violated, cut the interview short: your well-being is more important.
  • Take odd behavior with humor: you are not the cause. You are an explorer, an observer.
  • Engage your empathy: try to understand the respondent’s emotions and the reasons behind their pain points. Behind sharp reactions, there’s often a real underlying experience.
  • Set pauses between interviews (at least 30 minutes): use this time to go outside, have a coffee, or just be silent.
  • Plan for recovery after the interview: think ahead about what you can switch to. A TV series, a view from a window, a podcast — anything with movement is best.
  • Give yourself time for reflection: don’t analyze mistakes right away, let the emotional involvement go.
  • Acknowledge your fatigue: This is already a big step towards taking care of yourself.
  • Ask your colleagues how they are coping: you probably face similar challenges.
  • Give yourself permission to opt out or delegate: this is a sensible decision if there are no resources available. You can also change the format of the research, for example, from an interview to a survey.
  • Openly share your experience with your team: don’t be afraid to speak up if something has gone wrong or you’re tired.
  • Prepare for cultural sensitivities in advance: use local peer briefings, ChatGPT, or other LLMs.
  • Be prepared for personal questions from respondents: this may be their way of establishing rapport.
  • Embrace different interview set-ups: participants from different regions can connect from anywhere.
  • Don’t be embarrassed about your level of foreign language skills: feel free to ask questions if you don’t understand something.
  • Ask about the context of service use: don’t make assumptions, but try to understand the respondent’s perspective.
  • Don’t dismiss small signals — pay attention to hidden meanings, as they often reflect important cultural context.
  • Use phrases familiar to the respondent’s culture carefully: this helps you fit into their context.
  • Don’t be surprised if the interview doesn’t follow the usual script: in other cultures, this may be the norm.
  • Don’t try to always be “one of them”: in many cases, it’s better to remain respectfully neutral.

A user interview isn’t just about uncovering product insights — it’s about having a real, human conversation. It can be incredibly demanding, especially when your energy is low, but stepping into that discomfort often leads to deeper understanding — not just of the user, but of yourself.

While preparing this article, we were reminded once again that beyond technical skills, emotional well-being plays a crucial role in research. After all, empathy for the user begins with empathy for yourself.

It’s important to note that all the advice above isn’t a cure-all, but rather the experience of the [company’s name] team. In the end, every researcher develops their own checklist — as long as they’re not afraid to tap into their inner resources and keep trying again and again.

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