Nwamaka Osakwe Stress is a real problem for freelancers and often leads to health issues. Because many freelancers are unprepared, the stress is often difficult to manage.
You’ll find a zillion posts glorifying the freedom that comes with freelancing online. Many people jump into freelancing expecting a life where they make 6-figures from their home. They imagine a life where they travel, lie on the beaches, work for two hours a week and rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It’s often a rude shock to realize things don’t work like that.
Freelancing can be stressful.
Although stress is a part of life and shouldn’t be demonized, chronic stress takes its toll on our bodies, mental health and relationships. This post will show you the sources of stress and give you five strategies to help you combat freelancer stress while running your business.
What is freelancer stress?
It is a physical, emotional and mental response to the challenges of freelancing. Stress is normal in everyday life. Your body responds to stress by trying to overcome and handle the challenge. The heart beats faster, blood pressure rises and your senses become enhanced.
But stress isn’t all bad. We all need a certain amount of stress to achieve success and meet our productivity goals. Stress stimulates the body. It boosts memory, sharpens focus and increases concentration. Because your body gets fired up, you’re energized and motivated to do what’s necessary. This is why you can read for hours when you have an impending exam or interview.
Although stress is beneficial to you in the short term. Long-term stress wrecks your body and mental health.
Causes of freelancer stress
Running a freelance business brings you face to face with unique stressors not encountered by people in the regular corporate world. Examples are below.
• Freelancing is getting increasingly competitive, and you may find yourself scampering to get gigs. A survey by Upwork showed that freelancing increased by 22% in 2020 compared with 2019. This means it’s becoming increasingly difficult to land clients. You need to stand out. Client acquisition is the number stressor for most freelancers especially beginners.
• Financial difficulties: This is not peculiar to freelancers. As a freelancer, you’ll encounter financial difficulties from not having enough clients. Or even worse, having clients who take your work and disappear. Some clients take forever to pay, which is frustrating because your bills often need to be paid NOW.
• Deadlines: Although deadlines are great, short deadlines are a source of stress. Looming deadlines get your emotions high and cause you to cut precious sleeping time.
• Running a freelance business is stressful. Many freelancers get anxious when they have to hop on a call with a client. They worry about saying the wrong thing. Struggling to impress a client and putting on the right persona to project confidence when feeling like a fraud is nerve-wracking.
Manifestations of freelancer stress
Different people have different symptoms when they are experiencing freelancer stress. Here are some things you may notice
• Headaches
• Grumpiness
• Irritability
• Low energy levels
• Being distracted
• Lack of concentration
• Insomnia
• Excessive sleepiness
• Disinterest
• Racing heart, anxiety, constant worrying
• Stress eating or anorexia
• Diarrhea or constipation
Long-term complications of freelancer stress are
• Depression
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Diabetes mellitus
How can you combat freelancer stress?
- Don’t take more work than you can handle at a time. Realize that you’re only one person, and there are limits to what you can do. It’s tempting to grab every gig offered because of the fear of having no job. Taking too much work can hurt you in the long run. If you deliver a crappy job and miss deadlines because of having too much work, you may lose clients. If you have enough work, consider referring to another freelancer. Only attempt as much as your resources allow, and know your limitation.
- Don’t pile up work. It’s easy to keep pushing off work until the last minute. Procrastination leads to last-minute scrambling and stress. Try to finish your projects on time. If you have a big project, break it down into small chunks and take them on one at a time. Breaking them into smaller projects helps you stay on top of your game and keeps you from feeling overwhelmed.
- Be organized. Many people waste time without even realizing it. Having a to-do list is a great way to stay on top of things. Prioritize your list of chores. You can break up your to-do list into must-dos, should-dos and could-dos. You can even toss in a nice-to-do list. Tackle the must-dos first!
- Don’t fret over things you can’t control, like being rejected for a job. Focus on what you can do and control. Get a new skill. Build a portfolio. Pitch new clients. Taking specific steps to move your business forward is more productive than worrying over things you can’t control.
- Be intentional about taking care of yourself. Block out time for yourself. You’re important. Adopt good self-care habits like regular exercise, good nutrition and adequate sleep. Find ways to clear your head even on busy days. Make time for fun and this doesn’t have to be complicated. You could read a book, watch a movie or listen to good music. Don’t forget to spend quality time with your family and friends.
Bottom line
Chronic stress affects your health and well-being. But you can combat freelancer stress with careful planning and organization. Block out time for yourself and don’t be afraid to say “no”.
