What Full-Time Freelancers Do to Prioritize Their Wellbeing

Freelancing seems like a dream job since you can choose your own projects, set your own schedule and even travel while you work.

While there is no denying the freedom and flexibility that freelancing offers, this can be a double-edged sword since it also means that you will have to face an unpredictable income, working to get new clients while simultaneously working to meet deadlines, and making sure that you are legally covered every step of the way.

One of the most common mistakes that newcomers make is that they put their health on the back burner in order to grow their business.

This can be a costly mistake since freelancers do not receive employee benefits like sick leave and health insurance through their employer.

Full-time freelancers understand this risk, which is why they take steps to stay healthy.  

5 Things That Full-Time Freelancers Do to Prioritize Their Wellbeing

• Manage Existing Health Conditions

Full-time freelancers are better equipped to manage existing health conditions as they have the freedom to schedule their day as per their personal requirements.

For instance, those with diabetes are able to prepare diabetes-friendly snacks throughout the day to help stabilize their blood sugar levels.

Apart from dietary changes, there are other lifestyle changes for diabetes management such as daily exercise. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), physical activity makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which can lower blood glucose up to 24 hours or more after a workout.

Unlike most office employees, freelancers are able to schedule their day in a way that is best suited to their individual health needs. 

• Follow a Healthy Lifestyle

When you’re working as a full-time freelancer, following a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about feeling good, it’s also about sustaining your productivity.

This means that you will need to have healthy meals and snacks, get sufficient exercise, and sleep on time. A common rookie mistake that freelancers make is that they try to skip meals and opt for finger food snacks like chips or fries instead so that they can keep working.

These foods are typically high in carbs but don’t contain protein, which drastically reduces their protein intake.

Additionally, they tend to skip workouts, which reduces their muscle mass, and both these factors lead to low creatinine levels.

Full-time freelancers understand the importance of taking care of their health, which is why they schedule time for healthy snacks and meals as well as daily exercise.  

• Protect Their Mental Health

Full-time freelancers understand that their work can have a tremendous impact on their mental health.

Finding clients and dealing with sudden project changes or even cancellations is one of the main causes of stress and anxiety.

Very often, freelancers have to deal with irregular workloads where they struggle to meet their deliverables in some weeks but there are other weeks where there’s barely enough work. Working alone can also create loneliness and a feeling of isolation that makes it harder to stay motivated.

In addition to meditation and relaxation techniques, most freelancers use simple hacks to improve mental health, such as batching projects, setting things on autopilot, and even outsourcing certain tasks to reduce their stress and protect their mental health. 

• Follow a Structured Routine

As a freelancer, you do have the option to set your own work hours but it is important to follow a structured routine.

Research on the importance of creating habits and routines shows that we are more productive and have lower stress levels when we follow a structured routine. Full-time freelancers schedule their tasks so that they start and end their workdays at consistent times.

This also helps to establish a clear boundary between when you are “at work” and when you are done with your workday. Many freelancers take this a step further by creating a dedicated workspace so that they can switch from home mode to work mode. 

• Protect Their Business

Most people only think of protecting their business as a way to safeguard their finances, but the fact is that protecting your business goes a long way in reducing stress, which has a significant impact on your overall health.

There are several strategies to protect your business, and you should discuss your options with your lawyer as this will vary greatly from one business to another and from one area to the next.

Full-time freelancers consult their lawyers for everything from trademark and digital content protection to creating well-defined contracts and registering their business properly. This important step significantly reduces stress and anxiety by ensuring that you’ve covered all your bases.