How long have you been a freelancer? If you’ve been doing it for a while, you’ve probably realized it can be very rewarding. Being able to choose what projects to work on, and when and where you work from is a brilliant way to work. However, there are aspects of being a freelancer that can be very stressful. You can’t predict when your work is going to appear, or you find yourself doing several projects at the same time. The hours are also long and irregular. All these factors can make being a freelancer very stressful. If the stress levels are getting a little high and you’re wondering how to cope, here are some tips to help you deal with the problem.
1. Avoidance
There are certain things in your life that cause you stress that can be avoided. That’s not to say you can avoid all of them. You first need to identify the things that are causing you stress. If you’re struggling to get to sleep, is it because you’re worried about a client? Or is it because you’re worried about paying the bills next month because you haven’t found a new client? Both things you could do something about. For the things you can’t avoid you need to look at the bigger picture.
2. Analysis
If you take a step back from the issue and look at it more rationally, you may find a solution jumps out at you. It may also help you realize that the problem you’re stressing over is not as bad as it seems. The outcome of this exercise is to alleviate the stress rather than remove the problem.
3. Eat and Sleep
Your sleep patterns and your diet have a profound impact on your stress levels. If you find yourself snacking all day long on junk food, it’s going to make you feel tired, and you’re going to put on weight. Not sleeping at night because you’re worried about a project results in you sleeping late and not getting the work done, thereby compounding the problem. Adopt a healthy diet, regulate your sleep and you’ll feel much better for it.
4. Relax and Have Fun
Working an ever-increasing number of hours every week is not good for your health. Take time out to relax and have fun, or you’ll very quickly burn out. After a certain number of hours at work, your productivity drops so take a break as often as you can. Better still, take some time off and attend a local music concert. It’s very easy to find yourself working 7 days a week and you should force yourself to take a much-needed break. There are a variety of ways you can relax. An increasing number of people are choosing to play games online in order to unwind after a long day at work. Casino games are proving to be very popular and you can find out more by visiting https://www.unibet.co.uk/betting/racing.
5. Exercise
You might not think you’ve got the time or the energy for exercise, but you’ll be amazed at how different you feel if you include at least half an hour’s exercise every other day. If you can manage more, then all the better. Go to bed a little earlier so you can get up and go to the gym. Go for a run, take up basketball, yoga, or Pilates. Find a form of exercise that you enjoy, and you’ll find it much easier to include it in your schedule.
Being a freelancer can be very rewarding, but not if you’re stressed out all the time. Try the five ideas above, and you might find they work for you.