Achieving the career of your dreams and becoming a freelancer is quite exciting. That excitement can go downhill fast if burnout occurs. Working remotely is amazing and can work out great serving you the benefits of your preference
When working remotely, it is important to keep track of the important stuff just as you would when going to an office every morning. It can be easier to let go of the small stuff when working from home and alone.
Failure to take care of yourself can lead to decreased productivity. Having a flexible schedule can be hard to manage if you are new to the freelance world. Mismanagement of time can lead to neglect of vital aspects of your life and eventually burnout.
Burnout can occur to freelancers too even though they have no supervision and reduced pressure.
How to take care of yourself, as a freelancer, to avoid a burnout
As a freelance writer, I have often struggled with adapting to working remotely. I have done mistakes that have harmed my creativity and led to poor time management which resulted in low productivity.
Some of these tips have worked for me and many other freelancers. If you are feeling burnt out or are struggling to keep your head up as a freelancer, here is a list of things that will help you get back and stay on track to achieve your goals.
- Create a schedule
The main difference between working remotely and going to an office is your schedule structure. Sometimes you may not even have one when you are working remotely.
Going to an office every day creates a change in the environment which marks the difference between what you should be doing at certain hours depending on where you are.
Working remotely does not offer you that. Often you work from your house and you may lack the distinction between your home activities and work activities leading to no working schedule at all.
Creating a schedule gives you a clear distinction between work time and home activities time allowing you to focus on work when you need to. Lack of a schedule can lead to a little work time leading to a strain on your work progress. It can also lead to overworking causing a strain on your home life, social life, and family time.
Create a schedule to help you balance your home and work life. Focus on both when you need to without compromising the other.
- Stay Healthy
You can overlook your health if you do not often leave your house. This may happen when you neglect or procrastinate exercising and focus on work or tend to more urgent matters.
One way to ensure this does not happen is by creating a schedule. A schedule allows you to set aside time for everything. You should also be willing to follow your schedule. Avoid procrastination and build productive habits over time.
Besides adhering to your workout routine, you can improve your health by use of a standing desk.
A standing desk eliminates all the problems involved with long hours of sitting down such as back pain and keeps you healthier.
- Take Breaks
Take regular breaks when working.
It may be harder than you think to take a break when you are working alone. You may be too focused on a task that you forget or procrastinate a break. While work can be too interesting or become overwhelming, it is important to take a break to avoid burnout.
Take a walk, stretch, do yoga, meditate, or do a light exercise on your break. These activities help in improving your creativity. Taking a break when work is overwhelming can give you a different perspective and help you solve some of the difficulties you may be having.
Meal breaks are also very important. Avoid skipping meals because you are too caught up in work. It can easily lead to being unhealthy which will in turn cause a dent in your productivity.
- Create a Working Space
Another major difference between working remotely and working in an office is the change in environment.
Moving away from your premises and being in an office motivates you to focus on work activities. Similarly, being back at home motivates you to relax.
Changing your environment can be what you need to have a perfect work-life balance.
Create a working space far away from distractions. Being in that space will immediately motivate you to focus on work projects. Avoid carrying out home activities or being there at a time set aside for relaxing.
In the same way, do not carry your work activities to your relaxation and other home activities spaces. This way, a change in the environment allows you to focus on one thing at a time without distractions and without compromising the other.
Consider creating a different space for your workouts too and any other important activities that affect your life.
- Be Part of a Community
Working alone can be downright depressing sometimes. If you are an extrovert, for example, you are stimulated by external stimuli which lack will leave you bored pretty fast.
Do not isolate yourself when you are working remotely. Having a family helps with this, but include more than family in your social life.
Do not neglect your social life. Find the perfect balance between work, family, and social life.
Having a community of like-minded people is a great start to making friends who understand your life. They may also help you with work when it’s overwhelming or offer a different perspective on a difficulty you are having.
A team also holds you accountable for your goals in all aspects of life. They help you stay focused while ensuring you don’t neglect your social life.
Go out with your friends sometimes too. Your creativity increases when you are subjected to more experiences and when you socialize.
Conclusion
Working remotely can be very hard for a first-time or even a seasoned freelancer if you lose track of the important matters of your life.
A series of bad and unproductive habits can result in overworking or a blow to your career. They also lead to neglect in other vital aspects of your life that eventually lead to low productivity. It all results in burnout.
Checking your habits is important when working remotely. Eliminate your bad and/or unproductive habits for your career to prosper. In the same way, adapt to productive habits.
Create a good work-life balance to prosper beyond your work life. The quality of your life affects the quality of your work.
When you fail to take proper care of yourself, it eventually shows in the quality of work you produce. The cycle takes on from there. The vice versa is also true.
Avoid the downward spiral to create the life you have always wanted. Working remotely is an absolute dream job for freelancers, but for it to exist and prosper, a little effort is required on more than just the work aspect of your life.
Happy Freelancing!
