Freelancing and mental health: tips for survival
This is the second time I’m publishing this post. It first went live in January 2020 — oh, the irony!
Little did I know how much I’d be leaning on my own advice just three months down the line from publication. And I wasn’t the only one struggling.
According to IPSE, 32% of freelancers experienced higher stress levels during the pandemic and only 39% rated their mental health as ‘good’.
Two years later and, we’re not on the precipice of a global pandemic anymore, but we are still wading through the fallout.
Shit’s been heavy, bro.
Take a minute to revisit this advice, realign yourself, and move off into the year with the tools you need to support your mental health! 🌼
1) Share a workspace (if you feel safe to)
This continues to be the biggest learning curve for me. Although I started out using a co-working space for a portion of my working week, once I hit year three of freelancing, I worked almost exclusively at home. The effect it had on my mental health was pretty damn significant.
With that in mind, try to make time to work in public. Get yourself to a library, a coffee shop, or find a co-working space that suits you. You may feel like you can’t be arsed (trust me, I totally get it) but it makes all the difference and you’ll feel better for it!
2) Don’t force it
I have a little saying here in my office: ‘If you feel shit, don’t force it’.
The worst thing you can do on a bad day is bully yourself into working harder or better. If you need to take an afternoon off or a step back, be kind and let yourself do it.
If you had an employee who was having a bad day, would you make them sit through it anyway? You are your own employee, so don’t be a dick boss.
3) Recognise your limitations
This is a tip that goes both ways. If you’re being pushed into a job, working relationship or task that makes you feel uncomfortable or gross inside, you have every right to turn it down.
You don’t need a reason, you don’t need an excuse.
I realise that the ability to walk away from paid work is a privilege not everyone has, but if you’ve got it…use it!
On the flipside, if you’re avoiding punchy jobs or networking events because you don’t quite feel ‘good enough’, push yourself to take it and don’t let your limitations hold you back.
I keep learning this lesson again and again. It’s time I passed it on to someone else!
4) Lean on your community
The amount of times I’ve fallen back on the freelance community in dark times and had those guys come through for me is shocking. Case in point…
You can read all the replies here, but be prepared to ugly cry if you do.
I once had a total meltdown to a fellow freelancer in my Twitter DMs and had that person calmly and kindly coach me through it. I’m lucky to know them and they’re happy to help out, so go find them on Twitter at #ContentClubUK or at @copynights.
5) Stop comparing yourself
This is a real sinkhole of mental health fuckery.
The more you look at everyone else’s achievements and portfolios, the worse you feel about your own abilities. Before you know it, you’ve become your own biggest obstacle.
Comparison is the death of joy, my guy.
Here’s the truth of it: what you see online isn’t necessarily the whole story.
If you’re earning enough, are hitting your own business goals and are happy with your trajectory, then you’re golden. For all you know, someone else is looking at your career and wishing themselves in your shoes.
6) Go outside
I won’t lie — I can sometimes go days without seeing anyone or going outside. It happens occassionally and I don’t realise how badly it affects me until it’s too late.
Don’t be a pale, nervous wastrel like me.
Make an effort to go outside and take a quick walk around the block or a long lunchtime stroll. There’s something about fresh air which has magical healing properties.*
7) Perform basic self care
Look, my guy. I know you feel fifty shades of grim, but don’t sit at the desk in your jammies, eating Golden Grahams straight from the box. If you stray down this slippery path, you’ll definitely feel crap.
Take a shower, get dressed, put a bit of slap on if that tickles your fancy! Make sure you have a nutritious lunch or dinner, rather than snack food from the cupboard.
Taking basic steps to care for yourself can add up to a much better feeling overall. Even if you couldn’t get any work done that day, at least you got out of bed and showered. Sometimes, that can be a huge effort in itself.
8) Hug a cat
Boop a snoot. Squish a bean. Snuggle a fluff.
It helps. I promise.
* I’m sure there’s science to back this up, but I don’t know what it is.
