The freelancing life may have many benefits, but it is also stressful. Especially when switching from a regular job to freelancing, you need time to adjust to the new settings. Freelancing is a lot different from a 9 to 5 job. For starters unlike a 9 to 5 job in freelancing you are not attached to a specific time. Then it means you can work whenever you want, and that sounds great. But this freedom causes procrastination and leaves work undone. Which in turn causes stress and that is not good for your health. Similar to this, there are a lot of problems in this career that keeps you from being happy. If you are freelancing for quite some time now, you will know what I’m talking about.
Here are ten ways you can freelance and also live a healthy and stress-free lifestyle:
Work Schedule:
The one thing that is going to make you feel guilty and stress you out at the same time, is not being able to meet deadlines. At offices, you have a specific time which is dedicated to your work. This gets your work done. To have a successful freelancing career, you need to fix a particular frame of time, which will be devoted to your work only. Since you have control over your time, you can choose any time-frame you want. If you are a night person, this can be at midnight.
Sitting Posture:
As this job involves a lot of time in front of the monitor, it is important to have a good sitting posture. When you sit, make sure to keep your feet on the ground and keep your knees at a 90-degree angle. This will make you don’t face back problems after a few years into the career.
Take short breaks to stretch and exercise:
Sitting stiffly for a long time can be a problem for the joints between your bones. You should work for short spans of 25-30 minutes and take 5 minutes breaks each time. During this break stretch your muscles and walk around a bit. This is not only great for your physical health but will also give your creative juice a recharge.
Remember to stay hydrated:
A lot of freelancers run on coffee and choose it as the fuel that runs them. Too much coffee, however, is detrimental to your health. Water is more important for your body than coffee. Improper hydration can lead to lack of focus. If you are too fixated on coffee, an excellent alternative to both water and coffee is tea.
Avoid sugary and fatty snacks:
There are a lot of people who munch through snacks every time they are working. Snacks are not bad for your health as long as they are not fatty or full of sugar. Opt for fruits, nuts and granola bars next time you sit on your desk instead of chips and sodas.
Try not to overload yourself:
When the opportunity comes, people want to take on multiple clients at once without a second thought. But it is better to do one client’s work perfectly than doing two client’s work improperly. Meeting deadlines is the most challenging part of this career and biting on more than you can chew is a ticket to disaster.
Keep your finances up to date:
Leaving unpaid bills is just as stressful as missing a deadline if not worse. Keep records of your payable and put aside a fixed amount for the general expenses you need to pay every month. Failure to keep your books will only result in you not knowing where all those money you worked hard for went. To avoid this stress always enter any transactions you make into your books right away.
Avoid isolation:
Freelancing means you are now dependent only on yourself. This means there is very little reason for you to communicate with people other than when you go to the grocery store. Our need for social interaction is what makes us human. So, to retain your sanity make sure you socialize every once in a while. Find out fellow freelancers in your area, so not only will you have someone's company but can also help each other out.
Separate your work from your home:
One advantage of working in an office is you don’t need to bring your work to your home. One of the main reasons for quarrels at homes is for letting your work disrupt your family time. It is no different for freelancing. When you work at the dinner table or while having your breakfast, you are ignoring your family. This is when freelancing becomes a barrier between you and your family. This will cause your family members to hate your work, and they will not provide the mental support you need. So create a separate work-space and work there only.
Take vacations with your hard earned money:
Making money is meaningless if you don't use it to enjoy your life. There will be a feeling that tells you not to waste time on vacations while you can be working. Always remember taking a vacation is just as important and doing your work. Vacations refresh your mind and release the stress that you build up for working for a long time. It is important you don't touch your laptop/PC when you are on vacation. Other than that, a vacation is for good for your eyes as well, as your eyes will be the most stressed part of your body in this job.
Follow all these steps, and you will be a lot less stressed in this unforgiving career. Less stress means more happiness. Your health is also connected to your satisfaction. The healthier you are, the happier you will be. Besides taking breaks to stretch while working, aim to hit the gym once or twice every week. Not only will this make you healthier but you will get to socialize with people at the gym as well. Remember earning a lot of money means nothing if you don’t live a happy and healthy life.