Happiness is a direction, not a place.
Sydney J. Harris
When I left my full-time job to become a freelancer, I was full of emotion. Excitement, terror, anxiety, disbelief and…FREEDOM! Yes, it’s a scary world out there, but by putting healthy boundaries, structures and processes in place, it can be highly fulfilling.
Freelancers across every sector face similar challenges, whether it’s the terror of speaking to new clients, the highs and lows of an ever-changing income, the unpaid tasks you didn’t realise would be on your shoulders (hey, where’s my finance department gone?!) and the guilt felt when taking a 15-minute break.
So, how can you truly be happy with the freelance lifestyle? Well, as the quote says ‘happiness is a direction, not a place.’ As long as I can take steps to bring my relationship with freelancing to a healthy and positive place, I feel I’m there, even if things aren’t perfect.
To help you enjoy this crazy and incredible ride, keep the following areas of your freelancing in check.
Look after your mental & physical wellbeing
When you freelance full-time, it’s easy for unhealthy habits to creep in, like never taking time off or reaching the end of the week without leaving the house.
Try to stay in tune with how you’re feeling and why, whether it’s imposter syndrome (I’m a fraud!), guilt (I deserve to fail because of that two-hour lunch yesterday) or isolation (where my colleagues at?).
I continually review what I can do to help myself feel better – even if it’s taking a day to myself, having a ‘stepping outside once a day’ policy or making sure I check in with loved ones or other freelancers.
Useful Copyshed blog: Freelancer Guilt & Isolation – Some Key Things to Know
Treat yourself with compassion
You’d think working for yourself (which so many people DREAM of doing) would help to remove the self-doubt, not to mention getting away from your old micro-managing boss and passive-aggressive colleagues. But it’s easy to let your inner critic shout louder than ever when freelancing. But would you accept a stranger saying some of the things we tell ourselves?
Try to recognise when you’re being harsh on yourself and move towards encouraging, positive thinking instead. So instead of ‘I only got 3/5 tasks done today’, think ‘I did these 3 tasks well today, and I’ll complete these other 2 when I have more time’. I often get tired and overwhelmed at the end of a busy day, so focusing on what I DID achieve really helps. And if all else fails, there’s always that pack of biscuits in the cupboard.
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Find a work-life balance
Earning enough money to create the lifestyle you want without sacrificing time for families, friends and leisure is a fine art. Freelancing shouldn’t be about working all hours under the sun if it makes you miserable. This is an amazing opportunity to find the work-life balance so many people crave, so you need to put things in place to help you achieve that.
Useful Copy Shed blog: Freelance Like a Pro – How to Achieve a Work Like Balance
Use your time wisely
Becoming your own boss should give you more freedom to work hours that suit you. This means putting in processes to help you stay productive and efficient with a well-organised workflow. Effective time management is something that needs continuous work. The trick is to recognise where improvements can be made and implement changes as soon as possible.
Useful Copy Shed blog: Effective Time Management – Where Are You Going Wrong?
Set healthy boundaries
Most freelancers work from home, which can cause the lines to blur between your work-mode and personal life. Everyone is different, but if I’m checking client emails as I crawl into bed, answering calls during family dinners and making myself contactable 24/7, it leads me straight into a special corner of my kitchen to rock back and forth (much to the terror of my long-suffering husband). Set firm boundaries for yourself, and in turn, for others.
Useful Copy Shed blog: Freelance Client Anxiety – Easy Methods to Take Control
Learn the art of saying NO
One pitfall of freelancing is that even when things are going well, there’s always a background worry of losing good clients and work drying up. While there are never any guarantees, I try to have an attitude that I have the freedom and flexibility to create my own path should things go south.
Give yourself permission to say “NO” when circumstances dictate you should – whether it’s taking on more work than you can handle, working with a client you don’t feel is the right match (read – ‘rude and demanding’) or accepting projects which leave you feeling bored to tears.
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Have support, resources & tools to help you
While you may be a party of one when it comes to your business and freelancing work, you can still build up a support network around you. This could include online tools to make life easier, great articles full of useful tips and advice (Oh hi there shameless plug to the Copyshed blog!) or talking to other freelancers. I hope you find a treasure trove of resources across The Copy Shed to help you master the freelance lifestyle.
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