![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/mental-health-freelancer\/0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
To celebrate May being mental health awareness month, we\u2019re looking at the challenges faced by freelancers\u2026 and how to survive them.<\/em><\/p>\n When you\u2019re looking into the life of a freelancer from the outside, it can seem idyllic. No boss breathing down your neck, flexible hours, and the ability to make your own schedule. Who wouldn\u2019t want to do that? So when you quit your job to finally work on the project or career you\u2019ve been planning for years, there normally follows an intense period of euphoria\u2026 by the crash. You might put too much pressure on yourself and burn out or feel like you\u2019re being ruled by Murphy\u2019s Law.<\/p>\n Freelancers are predicted to make up to 50%<\/a> of the workforce by 2020, so it\u2019s vitally important that awareness is raised about the mental health challenges that we face by taking our employment into our own hands. As a 2004 Australian study put it<\/a>, \u201coverall, self-employment was found to be associated with relatively few mental health benefits,\u201d but why is that? What are the biggest challenges as a freelancer, and how do you make it a success while, most importantly, staying sane?<\/p>\n As someone who\u2019s been through possibly more than my fair share of mental health challenges, here are three of the biggest issues to be aware of when you\u2019re considering going down the freelance route. If you\u2019re already a freelancer, then now\u2019s a good time to check in with yourself. Are your habits healthy, or are you heading towards a breakdown?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When you\u2019re at school, college, or your job, putting pressure on yourself to achieve is rewarded. High grades, pats on the back, and promotions are all the results of being self-motivated. Here\u2019s the thing though: before, there was always someone there to tell you when to stop, whether it was teachers, guidance counselors, parents, bosses,or team-leaders. If you burned out, you could take time off and get paid for it. Even if there wasn\u2019t someone to tell you to go home at 5pm and stop working, chances are that too many long nights would have been noticed.<\/p>\n Freelancing, though, is a lonely life. Even if you\u2019re founding a business with a partner, there isn\u2019t that constant impetus of other people around you. As motivational speaker and salesperson, Jim Rohn<\/a> said that you\u2019re the average of the five people you spend most time with. So what happens when you\u2019re not getting that motivation everyday, and you slash your work circle to only a few people? If the person you see most is your business partner, or another freelancer, then they will be experiencing the same doubts and pressures as you. It could very quickly turn into a feedback loop of pressure and stress.<\/p>\n One way to lift the amount of pressure you\u2019re putting on yourself is simply to see more people. Try to find people who will be a different influence on you. Perhaps people who have been there already and understand the pressures, but no longer succumb to them. This could mean working from co-working spaces or attending conferences. As a freelancer, you\u2019re not alone in your feelings \u2014 even though at times, it can feel completely the opposite.<\/p>\n Journaling<\/a> is another way to help relieve the pressure you put on yourself. Often you\u2019d give advice to a friend that you wouldn\u2019t take yourself. Simple things such as \u201cyou\u2019re doing too much\u201d or \u201cthis is good enough.\u201d Writing them down in a journal can give yourself enough distance to realise that, actually, you need to relax. If you feel anxious or depressed, journaling can allow you to analyze those emotions and tackle the cause of them.<\/p>\n Hand-in-hand with self-imposed pressure, burnout amongst the freelancing community is incredibly common. There are many causes of this, but one of the main ones is the inability to refuse work. When you are starting out, there\u2019s a tendency to take on all the work which comes your way, since there\u2019s no telling when it might dry up. Suddenly, you\u2019re going from knowing where your next paycheck is coming from to not knowing when it might stop at any moment. Many freelancers report feelings of guilt whenever they\u2019re not working, even if they\u2019re on holiday or spending time with their friends and family.<\/p>\n A study conducted in 2005<\/a> on freelancers \u201cfound a more specific pattern of health problems in freelancers: chronic strain and a reduced ability to relax.\u201d The ranks of freelancers have continued to increase regardless of the risks to mental health; meanwhile, further studies have continued to show that it can be hard on mental health. A 2016 Swiss study<\/a> of \u201cnon-standard employment\u201d conditions identified high job insecurity and financial difficulties as the most common stressors. The consequences of these stresses were \u201csleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, a high prevalence of antidepressant drug use, and \u2018presenteeism,\u2019\u201d a term for continuing to work in the face of illness or other factors that warrant a break.<\/p>\n So why aren\u2019t freelancers taking breaks? As one article puts it<\/a>, time-off when you\u2019re a freelancer costs you money. If you get sick, you\u2019re eating into your savings. Often the simplest thing to do is just to keep working, which results in a poorer standard of working and risking not recovering.<\/p>\n Your only real asset is time, so a vital part of freelancing is learning time management skills. Set up rush fees, late invoice payment fees, and make it clear to your clients that your time is valuable. If you\u2019re a founder and working on your own time, then treat yourself like you would an employee and be strict about taking time off. Creating a clear routine around which you work, and sticking to it, will keep you both productive and sane. Time tracking apps<\/a> are perfect for this, as they\u2019ll help you stay accountable both with your on time and your off.<\/p>\n Does anyone like rejection? Often, fear of rejection is what holds people back from becoming freelancers. Without the filter of a boss, any rejection comes directly to you, and you can\u2019t help but take it personally. After all, commitment to your work and passion is why you\u2019re doing this, so rejection is never going to be easy. Often, though, rejection isn\u2019t the end of the world \u2014 and it certainly isn\u2019t something to be afraid of. It sounds corny, but if you\u2019re never rejected, you won\u2019t have a chance to grow in your industry.<\/p>\n Rejection can lead to depression, so finding the positive in that no is vital. Sometimes, it\u2019s even the better thing to do. Some clients are even better off saying no<\/a>, as they can be more trouble than they\u2019re worth. Which is also why saying no is crucial to your mental health. If you think a client is going to cause you stress, anxiety, or depression, then walk away without feeling bad. There\u2019s no point jeopardizing your good clients by taking on a bad one and losing your mental health in the process.<\/p>\n Rejecting \u2018experience\u2019 work is also important. This is a mistake I made early in my own freelance career, and it\u2019s something which is a pretty universal mistake. Taking work that underpays you just because it\u2019s good for your experience, so early on, is going to cause nothing but issues \u2014 as well as the fact that this means your client probably doesn\u2019t respect your time.<\/p>\n The good news is that learning to deal with rejection strengthens your mental health<\/a>, so it\u2019s not something to be afraid of. Just like when you experience physical pain, rejection causes your body to release a natural painkiller. Take every bit of rejection as a learning curve, either to strengthen your self-worth and know that you\u2019re valuable or as a learning process.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re struggling with your mental health, there are plenty of resources for freelancers. Zen Founder<\/a>, run by Dr Sherry Walling, is dedicated to helping Entrepreneurs \u201csurvive and thrive.\u201d There are also Chrome extensions to keep you focused, and apps like Timing<\/a><\/em> which help you achieve a work-life balance. Expenses like therapy sessions, gym memberships, and activities with friends should never be cut, as they\u2019ll help you earn money by keeping you healthy. Anxiety, depression, and burnout are normal in freelancers, but they shouldn\u2019t be. By staying aware, you can work your way towards a healthier, happier, and more successful life.<\/p>\n Have you improved your mental health by using<\/em> Timing<\/a>? We want to know! Contact us<\/a> if you think you should be a case study. Want to improve your mental health? Download a free trial today<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" To celebrate May being mental health awareness month, we\u2019re looking at the challenges faced by freelancers\u2026 and how to survive them.<\/em><\/p>\n When you\u2019re looking into the life of a freelancer from the outside, it can seem idyllic. No boss breathing down your neck, flexible hours, and the ability to make your own schedule. Who wouldn\u2019t want to do that? So when you quit your job to finally work on the project or career you\u2019ve been planning for years, there normally follows an intense period of euphoria\u2026 by the crash. You might put too much pressure on yourself and burn out or feel like you\u2019re being ruled by Murphy\u2019s Law.<\/p>\n Freelancers are predicted to make up to 50%<\/a> of the workforce by 2020, so it\u2019s vitally important that awareness is raised about the mental health challenges that we face by taking our employment into our own hands. As a 2004 Australian study put it<\/a>, \u201coverall, self-employment was found to be associated with relatively few mental health benefits,\u201d but why is that? What are the biggest challenges as a freelancer, and how do you make it a success while, most importantly, staying sane?<\/p>\n As someone who\u2019s been through possibly more than my fair share of mental health challenges, here are three of the biggest issues to be aware of when you\u2019re considering going down the freelance route. If you\u2019re already a freelancer, then now\u2019s a good time to check in with yourself. Are your habits healthy, or are you heading towards a breakdown?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Studies have shown freelancers higher rates of anxiety and depression, but why is this, and how can we change it?","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","related_articles":"","language":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-imported"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/mental-health-freelancer\/1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1. Self-Imposed Pressure (It Isn\u2019t Always a Good Thing)<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/mental-health-freelancer\/2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. Burnout \u2014 It\u2019s Time to Learn Better Time Management Skills<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/mental-health-freelancer\/3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. Rejection, Learn to Deal With it and Learn to Reject<\/h2>\n
\n![\"\"](\"blog-images\/mental-health-freelancer\/0.jpg\")
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