7 Tips to Support Your Mental and Physical Health as a Freelancer

Shifting from a traditional 9-5 job to freelance work requires proper planning. Despite the obvious benefits, freelancing is not all sunshine and roses.

Freelancers face a variety of challenges, including sporadic income, a lack of human contact and an over-reliance on the internet. If you’re a freelancer, it is vital to support your mental and physical health.

An ever-growing number of people are opting for freelance work to avoid mandatory office hours, achieve a healthier work-life balance and enjoy the benefits of being their own boss. Over 60% of Americans choose freelance activities in the US alone.

If you’re a freelancer, you’ll want to read on for our selection of tips for supporting your mental and physical health as a freelancer.
 

7 Tips to Support Your Mental And Physical Health as a Freelancer:

1. Build Your Morning Routine

Sticking to a routine and getting up early can become a mammoth task when it is entirely up to you to structure your time. It’s all too easy to lose track of time when you work from home and no one is waiting for you at the office to mark your lateness. It’s 11 a.m. before you know it, and you haven’t even showered or eaten breakfast.
 

As a freelancer, it is critical to maintain a healthy morning routine.

 
Try to get up early and do your work from the start so it does not consume your entire day and waste your precious time.
 

2. Devise Your Ideal Workday Schedule

It’s empowering to be able to manage your own time. Yet it takes a considerable effort – as many people claim: the more time they have, the more they tend to waste. So, be strict with yourself when it comes to scheduling, or you risk falling into a vicious cycle of procrastination.

To support your mental and physical health as a freelancer, you have the privilege to work during the hours most productive for yourself. Not everyone prefers the typical working day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you feel most productive between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and again between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., then work during those times!

“It’s likewise critical to keep honing your skills as a freelancer,” says Dominic Beaulieu, a chief editor at SupremeDissertations, “Employers who hire freelancers rarely provide training for their employees, making it difficult to ensure constant self-improvement on one’s own.”
 

3. What Is Your Ideal Work Environment As a Freelancer?

Another significant advantage of working as a freelancer is the freedom to choose your ideal working environment every day. A desk facing a brick wall in a dimly lit room is unlikely to make anyone happy, so make sure your workspace is comfortable and fun.

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In the summer, you may prefer a workspace with a large window that lets in plenty of light; on a cold winter night, you may prefer to work in a co-working space that has music playing. Spend a few minutes each morning envisaging your ideal working environment for the day.

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4. Take Regular Breaks

We cannot emphasize this enough: take regular breaks from your work. Freelancers often tend to cram all their work in one day and relax the next, yet this strategy can have a serious toll on your health.
 

Taking breaks can help you refuel and boost your productivity.

 
Every hour, take a five-minute break, even if it’s just to stand up and stretch. So, before you throw yourself into extra work and pay for a research paper to continue honing your writing skills right after an eight-hour shift, take some time to relax and re-energize.

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5. Give Yourself a Treat

It’s wonderful to have something to look forward to, especially when you’re working on a large project with tight deadlines. Make plans to pamper yourself after a long day of work, whether it be a night out with a friend or a long walk in the park with your dog.

A working day feels much more valuable when you have a treat planned for the evening.
 

6. Exercise Regularly

Constant exercise has been shown to alleviate stress. So, dust off your bike and hit the road! Exercise for at least thirty minutes every day. While you’re pounding the treadmill, your body and mind relax and the boosted serotonin levels improve your mood.

Of all the exercise options out there, yoga is most focused on assisting your body and mind work in unison. The benefits of yoga are endless, including relief from chronic stress patterns, and boosted mental awareness and concentration.

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Today, you no longer have to pay too much for a gym membership with plenty of stellar exercise options available online.
 

7. Maintain Emergency Cash Reserves

One disadvantage of freelancing is you never know when your boss will no longer require your services. Nothing is more stressful than living month after month on the verge of financial trouble and constantly worrying about when the next paycheck will arrive.

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Stop the misery by building up a healthy cash reserve to help keep you safe in the event of an emergency. Also, try to diversify your freelancing activities to avoid being completely reliant on one employer.

Last but not least, set aside some money for self-improvement activities such as attending sector-specific training or investing in the best essays from professionals who can help you skyrocket your writing skills.
 
 

With These Tips, You CAN Thrive as a Freelancer

Freelancing is tough. It requires a robust work ethic.

One can be taken with the apparent benefits of a freelance career to the point of neglecting the challenges. Give yourself a pat on the back and be proud of what you’ve accomplished though.

Not everyone is capable of going it alone! Keep the aforementioned tips in mind at all times in order to maintain a healthy body and mind and, as a result, achieve your ideal work-life balance.

Freelancers, did any of these ideas resonate with you? What are your tips to support your mental and physical health as a freelancer? Please share with us in the comments below – we love hearing from you!