Out of the countless myths about freelancing and freelancers, the one that disturbs me the most is that freelancing is not a real job. Many of my friends (with cushy 9 to 5 jobs) consider my work to be a more of a ‘hobby’ rather than an occupation.
When I started freelancing, my aim was to optimize my time, work less, develop a stronger connection with my goals, and improve the quality of my life altogether. But as I delved deeper into freelancing, once again I found myself struggling with time, as I did when I was working full-time. I hardly paused for lunch, I stressed about deadlines, and more than the physical engagement, it was the mental drill that kept bothering me 24*7.
The truth is freelancing is as difficult as working full-time office outside. Just like in any other job, having a healthy work environment is crucial for a successful freelancing career. And a healthy environment begins with a healthy mind.
Why Freelancers Need Self-Care
“The life of a freelancer can drive you mad if you don’t find balance”
Kevin D. Hendricks, a famous author and owner of a freelance writing company, mentioned in one of his recent musings that freelancers don’t bother about taking care of themselves unless they ‘have to’ – unless they are sick, or unless they have reached a point where they are no longer able to handle the stress alone.
For doing what is good, we should not wait for something bad to happen first.
Do you agree to the above statement? If you do, and if you care about your freelancing business and want to take it to the next level, start nourishing your mind, your body, and your soul right from today.
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Here are some exercises that can help you for a start.
Self-Care Exercises All Freelancers Should Practice
Exercise 1 – Self-Awareness
No two minds think and feel alike. We all have different ways of energizing ourselves and finding our calm. The first step to self-care is recognizing our inner self and becoming aware of what is ruling our mind.
And this is how you can do it.
5 Steps To Self-Awareness
Step 1 – Sit back alone for 10 minutes and take a few deep breaths. Try to focus on what are the thoughts that come to you and how you feel about each of them
Step 2 – Allow your thoughts to settle and list the first few thoughts that came to your mind. You can make a mental note or write them down if you want to
Step 3 – Arrange the positive and negative thoughts separately
Step 4 – For each negative thought, think of one or two ways you can overcome it. For each positive thought, think about one or two ways you can hold on to it
Step 5 – Repeat this once a week and notice if you could gain clarity of your thoughts and feelings.
Exercise 2 – Daily Mindfulness
On some days I am upbeat and all motivated to accomplish my goals. And on other days, I just don’t feel like opening my computer at all.
Have you ever experienced this?
Our mind and body are nothing but a bundle of energy, which if we direct in the right way, will bring in gushes of motivation and positive energy. To make sure this happens, try the following simple mindful practices every day.
1. Mindful Breathing
Any mindful exercise should be initiated with breathing. You can count your breaths and practice controlling them. Slowly start inhaling and exhaling on a count of 1-5 and back to 1. Do it at your own pace and as often you feel like. Take short breaks from your work where you can do a 5-minute breathing exercise and come back thereafter.
2. Musical Mindfulness
You can choose a music for this or lend your ears to the regular noises around you. I usually practice this every night just before I go to bed, with my eyes softly closed. Listen to the tune you have selected with all your mind and allow your thoughts to wander for a moment. Continue for 10-15 minutes and go back to what you were doing. You will be surprised by the amount of stress your body releases during this short time-out.
3. Mindful Watching
Working alone at home can evoke feelings of loneliness and make you lose focus. Take a 30-minute walk every day, preferably after lunch or in the evening. Go around looking at people around you, at the sky, the birds, and the flowers – try to experience whatever you see with your eyes. Forget about work, just enjoy your walk. Notice how your positivity comes back when you return home and resume working.
Exercise 3 – Self-Care Journal
This is what my journal looks like. I fill it up once a week, you can also do it on a daily basis.
| I am happy for | I am sad for | I am worried about | I am thankful for | I have to stop doing/thinking | I have to work on improving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Note to me | |||||
Self-Care Journal is more than a thought journal or a self-motivation guide. It is an in-depth communication that you can have with yourself as often as you want to – where you can be brutally honest to your heart, where you are ready to accept your qualities and improve your shortcomings. You can list down everything in the journal – your work plan, your fitness goals, your dietary problems, your negative and your positive thoughts. It gives you an overall view of those aspects of your life you should be attuned to. Freelancers, especially freelance writers who actively maintain their self-care journal seldom run out of motivation or need to look for external support to keep them going.
Exercise 4 – Mind-Body Balance
For freelancers, work-life balance is not the only balance that matters. Any freelancing job requires mental and physical energy, you can’t manage without either. Taking care of your body is as important as taking care of your mind and thoughts.
I am sure most of you already know what I am talking about, but let’s have a quick sneak peek at the best ways you can maintain the perfect balance in your life as a freelancer.
10 Tips For Self-Care Everyday
1. Eat healthy and stay hydrated
2. Get enough sleep – not less than 8 hours a day
3. Go out for a brisk walk everyday
4. Separate time for work and home. Don’t allow your smart gadgets ruin the special moments that you share with family and friends
5. Schedule your daily tasks every morning before you start working. Come back to the task list at night and strike off the tasks you have accomplished that day
6. Don’t sit for a long time, allow yourself breaks and give your eyes some rest
7. Manage your tasks carefully, avoid clogging yourself with too many projects. Focus on the quality of work rather than its volume
8. De-stress yourself as often as you want, even if it is more than once a day. Meditate, do yoga, go for a relaxing massage or a fun cooking session – anything that helps you feel rejuvenated is worth giving the time
9. Keep yourself updated. Read articles and explore the web for gathering information on the recent research and advances in your field. Be your own tutor. The more you work on improving yourself, the lesser disappointments, and rejections you have encounter as a freelancer
10. Develop the habit of writing down your thoughts, even the ones you don’t think are important. It helps in reducing clutters from the mind, which is the biggest part of self-care.
What is your self-care routine?
Share your experience of having a self-care routine and how it helped you in freelancing. We would love to hear from you.
