FREELANCE WORK-LIFE BALANCE

It’s safe to say there is no other form or work that is as desirable and popular as freelance. Young people – and those on the older side, too – are becoming independent contractors, and sell their expertise on freelance marketplaces like EasyBusy or Upwork. But are freelancers burnout-proof? It may seem that people who work from home have a far more accurate work-life balance than regular office workers. Yet research by McKinsey & Company shows that 69% of remote workers report increased burnout caused by digital communication tools. And as much as 53% of them state that they tend to work longer hours at home than at an office. There is some irony in how people perceive remote work which seems to put similar strains on freelancers. EasyStaff CMO Julia Bataltseva shares her view on freelancer burnout and what steps can be taken to keep a work-life balance in place.

When is the work-life balance shattered?

The opposite of a work-life balance is a burnout. Contrary to the popular perception, freelance burnout is a thing. It may seem that getting freelance jobs only takes signing up on Upwork, but this view is not entirely accurate. Working as a freelancer means hunting down those new projects and competing minus a supportive office team!

Along with constant stress caused by competition, freelancers are faced with a never-ending workload. A salary comes to you regularly if you are an office worker. But if you are fully dependent on how many projects you complete in a month, then giving up doesn’t in any way resemble an option! Freelancers often find themselves unable to reject a job because the fear is just too much. In other words, it is the freelancer’s responsibility to earn a certain amount of money. With an office job, this responsibility is shared in the team.

Speaking of teams, emotional deprivation is often a cause for burnouts. It may be difficult to enter a professional social event from home. Well, it is not impossible thanks to Zoom and Google Meet, but it is the personal touch that matters – and that is often not transmitted in a virtual meeting room.

In short, constant work load coupled with stress and emotional isolation are all responsible for burnout in freelancers.

Spotting burnout

We all seem to be alright and in control till we are not. The revelation may not be a mild tap on the shoulder. More often than not, freelancers get the message from not only emotional symptoms but also some physical signals that are sent by their bodies.

Emotionally, you will find yourself feeling a rather negative background. Self-doubt, fear of failure, and imposter syndrome are a few degrading emotions and doubts you will feel once you grow burnt out. The amount of work done or their complexity will not change the feeling of being trapped or helpless. Motivation plummets, and a sense of accomplishment just doesn’t seem to exist anymore.

Body-wise, tiredness and exhaustion may creep up on you at any moment, after any task – even after a smallest task complete or right after waking up. Stomach problems and indigestion along with frequent colds caused by lower immunity are also very common

These symptoms combined may cause further behavioral changes, such as becoming more irritable or procrastinating. Frankly, procrastination may be the worst because as you avoid work, you bury yourself with negative self-talk and guilt. The vicious circle then gets narrower and narrower. Even if you somehow get by with work while feeling stressed, you eventually may snap. On the one hand, your family and friends may be on the receiving end of serious negativity. On the other hand, your clients and projects may reflect your decreased self-assurance, deteriorated focus and lower motivation.

Freelance work-life balance – steps to avoid burnouts

Invest in a home office. While some may think that any chair and any table are fine, others maintain that a place where you spend loads of time needs to be comfortable and meet your needs rather than become a constant distraction. Your home office needs to be a private space. Not all of us can afford an entire room to an office, but an area separated with a bookshelf or a folding screen is a good alternative. A strong internet connection is also a must-have along with necessary equipment – from a PC to a headset and a mouse. Last but not least, convenience doesn’t mean luxury. When I say ‘invest in a home office’, I mean to explore options and tailor a solution that meets your budget and conditions. A space where you feel comfortable working that is separated from the ‘fun’ area of your home sets a boundary between work and life.

Self-care is the priority. Self-care begins with very small things, like setting work hours and ending your work day at a particular hour. And the concept covers bigger things like physical exercise and psychological comfort. A common misconception is to consider self-care luxury or even selfishness. In reality, there is nothing selfish in allowing yourself to restore and recharge daily and take longer off periods every two-three months.

Personally, I find great help in various apps that help keep track of how I am doing physically;

• Apple Health, Google Fit, Samsung Health. These apps collect all data about your physical activity (sleep, walking, moving, stress levels). They provide a simple yet comprehensive report of how active you are.
• Yazio. This nutrition and fitness tracking app helps you control calorie intake. You can set goals in it as to how much weight you want to lose, and it will give ideas for recipes and meals in line with the goal.

Share. We all know psychotherapy is expensive. Thankfully, there are cheaper options where you can voice your concerns and seek advice in a safe supportive community of like-minded people. These are my personal favorites – logging in and joining or starting a conversation is easy:

• Specialized forums. While younger freelancers may be suspicious of forums, the old schoolers know there are people there with experience to share. Yes, forums may not be as quick as Facebook groups, but they are still a workable option.
• Reddit’s r/freelance. This lively and active community has tons of advice to offer. Multiple viewpoints will be at your service on Reddit, and you can ask anything from how to manage a difficult client to why you feel down.
• Your freelance marketplace community. Pretty much every freelance marketplace has a community where you may talk about your experience and even help others.

As a final note here, voicing your concerns, talking about them and validating them in others is very therapeutic. Even if you don’t know what to call your state of mind yet, checking out what others have to say may help.

Summary

• Freelancers are not less likely to experience burnouts. They work too, albeit in a different setting from regular employees.
• There is no guilt or shame in having taken too much work and feeling tired. It’s only human to react to overstimulation.
• Tiredness, irritability and pains are physical signs of burnout. No need to overlook or ignore them because it will only turn into a downward spiral that leads you nowhere.
• Burnout is the opposite of a work-life balance in a freelancer’s life. To remain balanced, a freelancer needs to prioritize how they feel and learn to use their full capacity without exceeding it.