Freelancing allows you to build a flexible routine while giving you a handsome return. Also, it offers ease when choosing your own projects and pitching your quote to clients.
However, working on a self-employed status isn’t the easy way out. From what I’ve witnessed, freelancers struggle to manage healthy and balanced work due to the trap of the productivity myth.
It forces you to adopt obsessive behaviors. Therefore, you tend to seek freelance projects constantly while putting your health and self-esteem at stake. The latter causes burnout in the longer run.
In this article, I will reveal four ways to be productive while enjoying the real essence of life.
It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less.Nathan W. Morris
1. Separate Your Personal and Professional Lives
Doing a 9 to 5 job assists people in maintaining a balance between their personal and professional lives. However, freelancing demands 24/7 services which makes the situation worse.
According to a recent survey, 22% of freelancers tend to miss important social events multiple times a year. Moreover, a disrupted work-life results in compromised work satisfaction, affecting your self-esteem and confidence.
I have witnessed Youtubers and content creators rushing behind numbers while losing grip over health. That’s what Arun —the owner of a famous tech YouTube Channel Mrwhosetheboss— pointed out in his video, “My health is starting to suffer.” He explained how his obsession with numbers and aiming for more productivity cost him his health.
To cultivate a healthy and balanced work-life, you must plan a schedule to make time for your family and near ones. Getting acquainted with a new hobby, such as cycling or writing, will diminish your overall stress.
2. Formulate Your Day’s Routine
When freelancing, you don’t have a boss or manager over your head. Undoubtedly, scheduling your deadlines is a worrisome task. I believe the following factors restrict you from completing your work on time.
- Time Zone Differences
- Home Office Distractions
- Unreachable face-to-face communications
The dangerous trend of always being productive piles up negative feelings; thus, people end up unsatisfied with the overall outcome.
Thus, you must form a daily routine to organize, redeem and cultivate a balanced work life.
3. Fulfill One task a Day
Juggling between submissions of multiple projects daily adds fuel to the productivity myth. You might feel productive while fulfilling a plethora of freelancing projects. But, after some time, depression may pull you down.
However, prioritizing your urgent freelancing projects over unimportant tasks is the best way to prevent work-related burnout.
Additionally, this strategy aids you in maintaining a steady flow of your freelancing proposals and timely submission of preexistent orders. The latter helps you to develop the right balance of work and life while working as a content creator.
4. Restraint from Indulging into Over-Commitment
I believe a freelancing career is a meshwork of ebbs and flows. For instance, sometime, you might not have a single project to bear your financial expenses. In contrast, you have tons of tasks on some other day to manoeuvre. So, plan in a way where you don’t stress out about over or under-commitment.
Research has proven that over-commitment results in lower job satisfaction, reduce attention span, and inconstant personal relationships.
That’s why you must know how to say no to strenuous freelancing tasks to minimize your physical and mental stress.
The Final Footsteps
Freelancing helps you to associate with flexible working hours while getting high-paying jobs. It’s vital to distinguish between productivity and obsession to get desired outcomes while enjoying a quality lifestyle.