How To Keep The Freelancing Spark (Without Burning Out)
A freelancerâs life isnât always as glamorous as it looks from the outside. Working in pajamas and bunny slippers may seem like a welcome break from a soul-crushing corporate job, but the pressures that freelancers face can cause stress levels as high (or higher) than your typical 9-to-5 employee. The rush and responsibilities of managing a freelance business cause more than a few rising stars to burn themselves out before their time, and itâs never pretty. If youâre not feeling the love you once had for your freelance freedom, use these tips to unwind before you implode.
Make Downtime Mandatory (And Stop Avoiding It)
Itâs a given that you work hard â you push yourself to the limits to meet deadlines, create satisfied customers and spread the word about what you do â and youâve reaped the rewards for your efforts. But have you gone too far? Itâs easy to get so bogged down in client work that you never do anything for yourself anymore. But didnât you get into freelancing in the first place so you could live life on your own terms?
Instead of working yourself to the bone, schedule time in each week for something you want to do, whether itâs an energizing yoga class, a long walk in the park or an early Thursday matinee. Knowing that you have some “you time” hard-scheduled into your week will help take the edge off of your work stress. And if youâre worried you donât have the time for downtime, consider this â knowing you have a little less time to get everything done will help you stay more focused when itâs time to take care of business. Then you can concentrate on working hard with the knowledge that youâre going to be playing hard as well.
Find A âVenting Partnerâ (And Donât Hold Back)
Everybody gets stressed to the point of meltdown sometimes â but society puts intense pressure on us to look like weâve got it all together. After all, youâre living the life of a freelancer, bunny slippers and all, right? Youâve got that image to maintain every time you run into one of those people with “day jobs,” and you canât let your guard down and show how hard-pressed some days can truly be. The last thing you want to hear is the dreaded “I told you so.”
But if you keep your stress to yourself (or pretend that everythingâs okay) for too long, youâre going to implode. What you need is a “venting partner”,another freelancer who you can talk to about the crazy, stressful feelings that are a part of every freelancerâs life. Find someone you can trust to keep things just between the two of you, and let âer rip. Youâll feel much better not only getting things off your chest, but also discovering that other people have some of the same stressful issues that you do. And once that weight is off your shoulders, you can get back to work feeling a thousand pounds lighter.
Set Office Hours (And Stick To Them)
One of the blessings of freelancing is that you get to set your own hours â but that can become a curse as well. Itâs a small step from having a flexible schedule to having an “always on” schedule, and far too many freelancers let themselves slip into a 24-hour work day that they canât escape. If clients can always reach you by email or phone, or if you allow yourself to work all hours of the day (or night), your business will run your life, rather than the other way around.
Office hours are an absolute must for (almost) every type of freelancer. By setting a clearly defined work schedule, you give yourself pressure to focus and get the job done so you can get back to your life. Naturally, the hours you choose to work will shift from day to day (and thatâs true freelance freedom), but youâve got to guard those hours so they donât get away from you. You wonât win the battle 100% of the time, but the fiercer you are about sticking to your office hours, the more time youâll have to enjoy that life of yours â and thatâs what itâs all about.
How Do You Keep From Burning Out?
What strategies do you use to decompress, unwind or recharge when your freelancing schedule gets to be more stressful than usual? Share your tips in the comments and learn from other freelancers so that you can keep the spark alive â without burning out.
Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com