It’s estimated that over 1 billion freelancers are working around the globe, with millions of them working from home. The popularity and continued growth of freelancing shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, there are plenty of benefits.
Freelancing typically allows for more flexibility. It allows you to be your own boss, work with specific clients, and have a better handle on your work-life balance. [Read more…]
It’s an established fact that freelancing became more popular after the 2008 financial crash, and the US self-employed population reaches 15.5 million today. This trend was led by Generation X (also known as the people who got stuck between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials). As it was shown in a Toptal survey recently, a significant proportion of those who are new in freelancing, followed this route almost entirely for their children.
This would also end the notion that people choose freelancing simply to be their own bosses. The freelance community is being increasingly overrun by family. But what leads to this change of motivation while the freelance economy grows? [Read more…]
The topic of work-life balance is a real problem, for both regular employees and freelancers. It is such a huge issue that countless studies have been done about it.
It’s easy enough to say that a freelancer can achieve a good work-life balance better than those who have day jobs, but that may not be the case. Due to the flexibility that freelancers have, the line between work and personal life becomes blurred. Some people may have problems working too much, while others become too lax when it comes to work.
Usually, however, the problem is that the imbalance is due to spending more time on work and neglecting personal life. As you may have experienced, this can have disastrous results.
What are some adverse effect of work-life imbalance?
These three points are umbrella effects that can be broken down into so many other problems that point to one thing: there is nothing positive about having work-life imbalance.
How do you know if your work-life balance is askew?
Asking yourself a few questions can help you determine your situation.
If your answer to these questions is yes, then your work-life balance needs some fixing.
You can also ask the people closest to you what they think. They have an outsider’s point of view, which can discern behaviors that you may not realize.
What can you do?
Short answer: work less.
But it’s never that easy, is it? You need to come up with a plan with a specific goal and concrete actions to reach that goal.
Here are some ideas.
So, have you assessed your work-life balance lately? How is it?
Regular employees may be bound to their desks from 9 to 5, with regulated breaks in between, but they do enjoy perks that freelance writers may not. We don’t have company subsidized health insurance, for example. We don’t have overtime pay. We don’t have paid vacation and sick days off. All of these things are left for us to deal with. Or we can decide to do without them.
Let’s zero in on the last bit – days off. If you think about it, we do have a certain degree of freedom as compared to regular employees. We can choose not to work if we are sick or feel like going on a vacation. One huge difference is that, technically, we don’t get paid for those days. We only get paid once we get the work done, which usually means spending more time working to make up for the “lost” days. As a result, many freelance writers find themselves taking less time off. [Read more…]
Working from home was my dream job, and it still is. I am living my dream, and it allows me to earn a decent living. It’s not always easy, but it’s even better than I had expected.
Then recently, it was brought to my attention that I haven’t been taking care of myself the way I used to. It took me a while to accept and understand that, but here I am writing about work at home writers taking care of themselves.
I’m writing this post for two reasons:
I used to be really bad with this as I would get so caught up in work that I would forget to eat proper meals during the day. If I did eat, it would usually be in front of the computer. I’d usually make up for it at night, when I went out with friends. That meant lots of greasy food and drinks.
Since I got really sick about 2 years ago with acute pancreatitis, and I had to stay in the hospital for more than a week, my eating habits have changed. I learned, the hard way, that taking a break and eating properly is worth more than ‘getting more work done’.
If you remember, three weeks ago, I shared that I made a promise to myself that I would go out and walk at least twice a day. This was something I always said I’d do, but never got to do because I always had more work to do.
I’m happy to share that I’m actually doing it, and I feel better.
It’s just not about losing weight or being fit. It’s also about getting out of the house and physically distancing yourself from work, which can result in a better mindset when you get back to your computer.
We all have our own ways of pampering ourselves. I like getting a massage and getting my nails done. I also like to do a little bit of shopping for special items now and then. What I like most is to travel.
These things can be seen as rewards for meeting deadlines, doing a good job, and so on. The more important thing is that you feel rejuvenated after treating yourself.
This is my biggest challenge. I am perfectly happy to stay at home and just chat, text, or call. My reasoning is that I don’t need as much social interaction as other people do. And this is true.
There are some negative effects of not meeting people face to face for a long period of time, though. Over the years, I’ve ‘met’ several work at home writers who have had problems with depression, needing clinical treatment even.
While other factors may have played a role in those cases, one thing about depression is the default reaction is to withdraw even more. One becomes more averse to social interaction.
That being said, studies have shown that doing the opposite – meeting friends and family – actually helps ease depressive feelings.
If you’re feeling disconnected and feeling down a lot lately, ask yourself this: “When was the last time I met with a friend face to face?
If it’s been months, then maybe it’s time to try. At least try. It won’t kill you.
So, FWJ folks, have you been taking care of yourselves? In what manner? Maybe you can relate to the things I shared above and are struggling with them. Would you like to share in the comments ? Maybe we can help each other out.
Related reading:
Passionate professionals are vulnerable to becoming so driven by work that personal well-being is no longer a priority. The autonomous, and often isolating, nature of freelancing heightens that risk for independent contractors.
Are you concerned that your need for optimum work efficiency is overriding your personal needs? Take these cues on how to maintain professional productivity without sacrificing your sense of self.
Write a Mission Statement
Image credit: Randy Glasbergen
If you are self-employed then you are your business. Draw inspiration from the private and non-profit sectors by crafting a mission statement that outlines your freelance career goals. When drafting your mission, start by writing a summary of your professional ambitions. Ask yourself questions like these:
Putting a mission statement in place is the cornerstone for building a freelance foundation grounded in work-life balance. You can revisit your mission statement when you feel like you’re being too career-focused. Reminding yourself of what you want, rather than only considering offers from clients, will make you less likely to overcommit to projects and more likely to use some of that time cultivating yourself.
Track Your Time
Image credit: WikiPaintings.org
Does your day drag along? Documenting your time is a practice that often yields surprising results in how you spend it. This is especially useful for freelancers weighed down by the frustrating feeling of “It seems like I am working all the time!”
The key to time tracking is noting every action, no matter how insignificant it may appear to be. You wouldn’t ignore a 90 minute block of writing, but three minutes spent scrolling through your Twitter feed is more easily forgotten. When you factor in the instances of mindless browsing you’ve completed across all your social media pages and BuzzFeed quizzes you’ve taken to identify your inner Saved by the Bell character, those minutes quickly amass into hours of wasted time and energy.
Whether you note your activities in an Excel spreadsheet, on a scrap piece of paper, or use the latest in mobile time tracking technology, find a system that works for you.
Arrange a Routine
Image credit: Kimberly Back
Once you have a better grasp on how you are spending your time, establish a daily routine that takes into account your work and your wellness. Yes, we freelancers – renegades of the business realm – are notorious for scoffing at structure, but scheduling your professional and personal time into sections with defined starting and stopping points prevents your entire day from feeling like 24 hours on the clock. Work smarter, not harder.
Prioritize Your Person
Regardless of how in control you have convinced yourself that you are, personal dysfunction will eventually contaminate your professional life, and vice versa. When you only prioritize your business side, sooner or later your self-preservation will kick in, causing you to rail against your work. You may feel depressed, start looking for excuses to extend project deadlines or miss them altogether, or you may risk your professional reputation and credibility by doing anything but work.
Making simple strides toward honoring your sense of self goes miles toward maintaining your professional productivity. When you feel better, you work better. Even something as small as setting aside 30 minutes a day to exercise, taking a proper lunch break every day, or scheduling a weekly activity with your best friend can make big advances in revitalizing you personally and professionally.
Give your all to your work, but not all of your Self.
Kimberly is the Social Media and Content Manager at Virtual Vocations, your one-stop shop for freelancers looking for legitimate telecommute jobs. Connect with Kimberly on Facebook and Google+.
Death by Computer
That being said, I think it is totally reasonable to ask the question, “Is your computer killing you?” without running the risk of being labeled as nuts. After all, we know how spending excessive amounts of time in front of the computer can be bad for the health; and as writers, we probably spend more time with the computer than anything else. It might be sad, but I have to admit that that is the case for me.
I want to share this infographic with you, which highlights the negative effects of spending too much time in front of the computer. To sum it up, here are the top health risks.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you might have seen some of my posts mentioning back pain. I am not alone in this, as many of our readers have given their own tips (via Facebook and Twitter as well) on how to avoid/manage back pain. Do you have this problem?
I have long since given up on relying on multi-tasking as a habit. It does turn your brain into mush, and it makes me feel like a scatterbrain at times. What do you think about multi-tasking?
What’s your before bedtime routine? What’s the last thing you do before turning in? Do you sleep with your laptop (or tablet or phone) beside you? Take a closer look at the infographic and see why this can be bad for you!
Surely, the computer does not directly make you gain weight, but sitting down all day, with little or no exercise is definitely not a good thing. If you have the habit of munching on something while writing, then that’s not going to help either.
If that describes you somehow, maybe it’s time to think of taking a break in between tasks and getting your blood flowing. If you do this already, maybe you can share your tips with us?
I’ve worn eyeglasses since I was in third grade, so I can’t say much about this, but I do know it seems my eyesight is just getting worse. What’s your experience?
This is not a problem for everyone, but I shall keep my silence on the topic lest I incriminate myself. 😉
Take a look at the infographic, “Is Your Computer Killing You?”, for stats and more details.
Source: http://www.whoishostingthis.com
Yesterday we discussed multitasking, or why it’s a bad idea. Of course, talking about it is one thing, actually stopping is a whole other story. Those of us who juggle family, home and kids may feel as if we have no choice. However, since I stopped multitasking for work, I find I’m much more productive. I also have time to spend with my family. Today, I’d like to share:
The key to work from home success without stress is balance.
I’ve long maintained folks who work at home work more hours than our commuting counterparts. For many of us, if the computer is on, we’re at work. We just can’t shut down. Last weekend I learned an important lesson because I didn’t shut off Skype and ended up working most of the holiday weekend. Where do you draw the line when you work at home? The way I see it, the problem is twofold:
When I worked a regular 9 to 5 job it was easy for me to get in my home frame of mind. I left my job every day at the designated time, went home and did home stuff. I don’t have that kind of luxury when I work at home. You can’t put on your coat and go home when your office is in the same place you eat, sleep and bathe.
It’s easier said than done, but establishing business hours can help you draw the line. Speaking from experience, it’s tough to say, “OK, it’s 6:00. I’m done working for the day” and leave your work at home job. Once you get into a routine however, it’s easy to switch hats.
This has been the topic of much discussion but I honestly believe clothes help to set the tone. I change into comfortable working clothes when it’s time to get down to business, and wear something else for relaxation time with my family. Yes, I have been known to wear my flannel penguin pajama pants while working from time to time, but the clothes really do help to put me in the proper mindset.
I also find that if I have established business hour, say when my family is at work and school, I have a better ability to focus. I can’t always pay attention to my job when my son is practicing piano or my husband is running power tools. Having quiet time to work each day helps to put me in the right frame of mind. Once the family starts getting down to business, it’s time for me to close shop. [Read more…]
