I remember a freelance writer saying I didn’t want to work 9-5 for anyone, but now, I work 24/7. It is exhausting! In the freelance niche, burnout is real. And you want to avoid it as much as you can.
Burnout prevention should be taken seriously. It can cause emotional and physical exhaustion, as well as increased illness. There’s also a chance that you’ll become isolated and detached, and your output will suffer. None of this is beneficial to you personally or professionally. To avoid this, here are six tips for freelancers to follow if they want to avoid becoming burned out.
Establish Boundaries
One of the most common causes of freelancer burnout is over-commitment and accepting too many projects. While it can be challenging to say “no” to a client, it is necessary to continue producing quality work and avoid burnout.
Before arguing over a new project, consider whether you have the time, qualifications, and interest in the new position. If not, it is acceptable to inform the client that you will be unable to complete the project.
In terms of boundaries, you should also establish precise working hours. Working too many hours is another way for freelancers to become exhausted. While this can be difficult – sometimes a project takes longer than expected, and deadlines must be met – you must develop a work schedule that works best for you. If you are most productive at night or when the house is empty at certain times. Those are the hours you should work, and you should try to stick to them as much as possible to avoid working 12-hour days.
Ask For Help
Is that a project that is causing you stress? Do you dread having to complete tasks before tight deadlines? Do you struggle with editing written content? Instead of becoming overwhelmed and frustrated, you could reach out to a fellow freelancer for assistance.
What’s great about asking for help from your fellow freelancers is that you can find talented individuals in the same places where you’d typically look for freelance gigs.
When given a new task or project, it’s common to feel completely overwhelmed by the prospect of juggling your work and personal lives. Do yourself a favor.
Accept Projects/Clients That Interest You
One of the best aspects of working for yourself is the freedom to decline gigs that do not interest you. While you may only sometimes be able to do so, if you have enough work and money, you don’t have to take on a project that bores or stresses you out. So, for example, if you loathe writing about pop culture because of your experience as an accountant, then turn the gig so that you write about the topics that interest you.
You can also reject work from clients who have given you past problems. For example, if you’ve worked with a client who has been reluctant to pay your invoice or overly critical of your work, you can fire them and work with clients with whom you have a strong rapport.
Build Long-Term Relationships With Specific Clients
Scrambling to find work from month to month can make you question your career as a freelancer. After all, who wants to worry about how you will pay your monthly bills and expenses? That is why you should focus on developing long-term relationships with certain clients.
Use Productivity Tools
There are a lot of fantastic time tracking and productivity tools that freelancers should use that can help them boost their productivity tools.
Take Care of Yourself
As a freelancer, you need more time to pay attention to your health. Because you are spending all day at home behind a computer instead of climbing a set of stairs in an office building and interacting with co-workers. It can be isolating and monotonous. That is why regular exercise and social interactions have often been discussed among freelancers. The reason? Exercise and social interactions will definitely make you more productive and decrease stress.