How to Revamp Your Freelance Lifestyle

Working at home is a great reward because it allows you to take hold of your time so you can do other important things while you earn. It is also a great opportunity to showcase your skills and talents and even develop it more with the everyday learning you can get while working. Freelancing can be considered as one of the most amazing job ever and that can be proven by the increasing number of freelancers.

But despite the freedom in freelancing, we really cannot do away with stressful situations. When that occurs, one would think that it is not the kind of career he wants because one of the reason why he switched to freelance is to get rid of the stress from being employed. Oh well. It doesn’t mean that once you are freelancing, you will no longer experience problems and pressures because in whatever work we do, these would always be present. But there is a way in order to get rid of it and lead a relaxing and stress-free freelance lifestyle.

The Freelance Lifestyle

Before we give you the tips on how you can have a stress-free lifestyle. Let us take a look at the kind of life freelancers have. Well, it would vary for every individual but we will try to point out what is common to most if not all freelancers.

Like what we have mentioned, freelancers have the freedom to handle his time. But it also depends on how you spend your time. Wise allocation of activities and tasks for certain time frames will help you make use of your time in a good way. This means that you will not merely be working but you will also have time for breaks, vacations and you will also allocate time for your family and loved ones.

A freelancer also doesn’t have a boss- no one and nothing but the deadlines that you need to hit. That is why it is important that a freelancer should be able to handle workloads and tasks well not just to finish before deadlines but also to do away with the pressures and stress from clients who would be appalled once you are late with the output. Another factor that would affect one’s freelance lifestyle is the clients you would work with. Some might give your problems while others will be easy to talk to.

Being a freelancer also means that you wouldn’t need to wear corporate attire in order to work and you would not need to ride a vehicle to go to work. You can work even with your pajamas on. You can just walk towards your work station without worrying about anyone who would observe your actions and work performance. You can even eat snacks while working. No one’s gonna hinder you to do anything. But you would be facing the computer for long hours in the day. The computer becomes your best buddy.

Is this your freelance lifestyle?

How to Have Relaxing Freelance Lifestyle

Your freelance lifestyle is a matter of choice. It is you who creates it. So, if you want to have a relaxing freelance lifestyle, we have here some tips for you. Seeing these will make you realize that it really isn’t that hard to get the kind of life you wanted while you work as a freelancer.

While working…

1. Manage your workload. – You might have a lot of work to finish. You will succeed if you know how to handle them. Once you already have so much projects to work on, do not accept more projects to save you from trouble and too much pressure. Also, if you work on so many tasks at a time, you could end up ineffective. So, make sure that you could work well and you know when to multi-task and single-task.

2. Be realistic not materialistic. – It is important that while you work, you look at it realistically. Instead of thinking of all the things that you want to get for the money you will earn, you should think about how you can finish the work with a good output. Thinking about your rewards is actually good but if you think too much about it, you might work hastily and get a not-so-good output. Remember that quality comes first.

3. Just work on your tasks.

When you are there, work. Do not do other unnecessary things like playing online games and checking your social media accounts. That can be done later. Once you work on your tasks, you are like allocating more time for relaxation because you will be able to finish your work at once without delays and procrastinations.

4. Be aware of deadlines. – Keep an eye on the deadline. This is a repetitive reminder to all designers and freelancers. Finishing projects on time will allow you to deliver the finished output to the client without any worries and without any trouble. This can surely save you from angry and discontented clients. No one wants to deal with this situation. So, be prompt ALWAYS.

5. Get rid of problem clients. – Not all clients are easy to deal with. If you have clients that are causing too much pressure and trouble, then let go of them. You really do not need to keep them. There are better clients out there who are waiting for you to be available. Why waste your time on these people? Get more tips on this from How to Control Anger in Dealing with Problem Clients

6. Set goals and do it.

Goals are always important. Without it, you will not have a proper direction to work. Once you have set a goal, follow it and do it. If you follow your goals, you will be on the right direction which of course means less stress on your part.

7. Work on small tasks. – You have to learn to break major tasks into smaller ones. Small tasks play a huge role in your projects. So, do not disregard them. Work on them well and make sure that you finish them according to your allocated time.

8. Organize.

When you are organized, you are free from the stress of a cluttered environment and from disorganized files. Looking for files and other items is really appalling sometimes especially if you really need it at the moment. So, make it a habit to organize your files both hard and soft copies. Also, remember to always have a clean workstation.

9. Deal well with people. – Even if you are a freelancer, you will still be dealing with different kinds of people from clients to fellow freelancers. Know how to treat each one and when you do that, always bear in mind that people have diverse traits that you need to understand.

10. Learn from mistakes. – Making mistakes is not a sign of ineffectiveness but it is a sign of imperfection. Humans are not perfect so we are prone in making mistakes. Do not feel bad about it. Instead, consider it a challenge and learn from it. Also, like what they always say, never repeat the same mistake again.

For the rest of your freelance career…

11. Avoid worrying too much.

While you are freelancing, free yourself from worries. This is applicable in everything that you would do for your entire freelance career from projects to clients and even promotion of yourself as a freelancer. Stop worrying because there is actually nothing to worry about. Also, avoid overthinking and creating your own snowballs. Read on How Freelancers Can Overcome Negative Thinking.

12. Spend time with family. – The family is important. These are the people who will stay with you all the time. They could be your inspiration for work but you should not forget to spend time with them. Make your family your fulltime and your job, a part time.

13. Take breaks.

Little breaks matter even if you look at it as delays on your work. Breaks can actually let you perform better. So, do not hesitate to get a cup of coffee or munch on some snacks even just for a few minutes. This can help you to recharge and bring back your creative juices.

14. Stay healthy. – Some people look at freelancers as unhealthy because of too much exposure to computers and due to spending more time indoors than outdoors. But that is actually not true. A freelancer can stay healthy if he wants to. It is a choice. So, choose to be healthy.

15. Go out in the sun. – It doesn’t mean that just because you are working indoors that you will no longer go outside. You can go to the park for some walk or merely to take in fresh air. You can also walk your dog to the park which can be a good excuse for you to go outside.

16. Exercise.

You can do this early in the morning before you start working or you can also do this late in the afternoon. But did you know that you can exercise while sitting? There are different exercises that you can do while you are on your desk. This won’t bother you with your work while you keep yourself healthy.

17. Catch up with friends. – You might not be able to go out often but make sure that you will have time to bond with friends. Update each other with what is going on with each other’s lives. Talking with friends can give you a good laugh and will make you feel happy and even special. Friends are the best stress relievers.

18. Travel. – Why don’t you schedule a trip once in a while? Choose a destination that you truly want to visit and go there with travel companions that you are comfortable with. But make sure that you will do the necessary arrangements before you leave for a trip. Inform your clients in advance about it and finish your projects too so that you will have a stress-free trip.

19. Have a positive attitude. – All the time, have a positive attitude. You need this in working on your projects, in dealing with different situations and in socializing with other people. With positivism, you will be taken to greater heights while remaining your feet on the ground.

20. Be contented. – As a freelancer, it is important that you live and work in the NOW. Learn to appreciate what you have and do not always be yearning for too much. It is okay to dream and set goals but make sure that it won’t be too much for you to ask. Once you are contented with what you have, you will be happy and you will be able to get the things that you dream for without you knowing it because these will come to you as a prize.

Anyone would love to get a life that is free from stress and worries. It would indeed be nice to work without pressures and problems. These negativities are around us but it is up to you if you will entertain it. Once you dwell on it, you are already creating your own stresses and problems. So instead of thinking of it and creating your own ghosts, think happy thoughts and always be positive. With this, you will be happy and the joy will resonate from within you affecting your work and even other people around you.

Now, assess yourself. Are your actions making you feel stressed out? If so, it is time to change and consider the above tips. Are you always grumpy and worried? If so, bend your frowns into a smile and be the happiest freelancer on Earth. Like what we said, your freelance lifestyle is a choice. So, choose one that is relaxing, stress-free and totally happy. How about you? What are the steps that you take in order to lessen freelance stress?