Working from home is a goal many people strive for, until they begin to see the consequences of blending their work and home lives. You’re more likely to feel stressed as you juggle professional projects with household chores and responsibilities, especially if you’re going through long periods of self-isolation. Frustration is normal under this setup, but there are a few methods that can help you overcome burnout as you continue building a career as a freelancer. Here’s a quick guide to help you get through it:
1. Know What Freelancing Burnout Looks Like
The symptoms of burnout at home vary from person to person, but the most common early warning signs include an inability to switch off even if you’ve already slowed down. On the other hand, some people may develop an aversion to just about anything that feels like work. Procrastination becomes more likely, along with a tendency to finish tasks and errands in the most mediocre way.
The usual symptoms of burnout include an inability to focus, irritability, and apathy the longer your situation remains the same. Knowing these signs is crucial to helping you assess how you navigate both your work and home lives.
Subtle changes in your personality and routine may also point to burnout, especially if you see your work as an endless series of monotonous tasks. Identifying these signs early will push you towards making the right decisions.
2. Set Boundaries and Know Your Limits
Burnout often sets in the moment the boundary between home life and work starts to blur. If it’s your first time working from home as a freelancer, you find it convenient at first to earn a living while working on household tasks that could otherwise eat up your weekend. However, this setup will take a toll on your well-being as you find yourself answering emails, receiving phone calls, and writing content at times when you’re supposed to rest.
The best way you can overcome this is to block out the times when you don’t have to do any work. If possible, consider turning off your phone and computer and spending time outside. What’s more, never use this time to run errands or do household tasks. You might want to block out time for these as well. The most important thing is to never take on different tasks at the same time and sacrifice the time you need to switch off.
3. Learn to Delegate
A family member or a roommate is good to have if you’re living in an apartment. If you’re working from home alongside an elderly member, you may need to reach out to a home care assistance service that can respond to their needs. The best advantage of this is the fact that you’re still at home to oversee how your loved one is taken care of without doing the work yourself. This allows you more time to focus on your freelancing gig without stretching yourself too thin.
4. Never Neglect Personal Wellness
You become more susceptible to burnout if you’re not careful about the lifestyle you’ve adopted as a freelancer. During most of the day, you’re hunched over your laptop and make poor meal choices by prioritizing convenience over nutrition. These habits can worsen stress and lead to serious physical and mental conditions. Not only are you more prone to neck and back pain, but you may also suffer extreme weight gain and a tendency to binge on junk food as a coping mechanism.
Consider going for a run around the neighborhood or signing up for a gym membership. Choose a workout routine that suits your physical needs and fitness level. An active lifestyle should also revolve around wise eating habits. Instead of opting for deliveries and microwaveable food, come up with a meal plan and cook for yourself with fresh ingredients.
5. Build a Support System
Another disadvantage of working as a freelancer is that socialization is limited. One way you can reverse this is to simply go out and meet people with intention. Call a family member or a former college roommate and invite them over for lunch. If you’re working for a remote team, identify people you can connect with and see if you can meet them in-person. The fact that you’re freelancing shouldn’t restrict your need for socialization, so make time for meetings that will help you forget the things that triggered your stress. Have conversations over coffee and avoid talking about work, freelancing, and everything else that’s putting you under so much pressure. Aim to find relief in healthy interactions.
6. Find Time for Creative Work
Regardless of your discipline or the type of gig you’re handling, it’s important to develop a passion for creative work. There are countless platforms you can check out that let you learn a craft or reconnect with a childhood passion.
Your choice will provide you with sufficient mental stimulation, enhance your creative thinking, and develop new skills you can add to your resume or build your portfolio with. More importantly, creative work lets you slow down and gives you a sense of accomplishment that could offset the things that are stressing you out.
7. Go in Regular Vacations
If you’re planning to make freelancing a lifetime career, you still need to treat it as any regular job. At times, you may need to go out on self-imposed vacation days at least twice a year. Considering you have enough flexibility to travel internationally, you might as well make the most of your earnings.
You just need to avoid taking your work with you. If you do, you would be glancing on your work phone for emails and checking a client’s social media metrics on your laptop. You need to escape your home office and immerse in other places where you can recharge. That way, you would come back home (and back to work) more focused and at peace.
Endnote
Freelancers are blessed with so much flexibility. However, this amount of freedom can also produce burnout, which often happens when work and home life blend into one. Apply these tips so you can make the most of your life as a freelancer.
