Sure, the freelancing lifestyle is about having the freedom to work anytime and anywhere. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the Delta variant, travel has been restricted in many countries.
The situation forces many freelancers to stay in their location, developing cabin fever and unknowingly letting go of their healthy lifestyle.
With or without the pandemic, freelancers must develop a healthy lifestyle. That’s because it helps boost their immunity, allowing them to stay productive even when working within the comforts of their home.
That said, we have listed six tips that can help you build a happy and healthy freelancing lifestyle during the pandemic.
Keep your workspace clean
At Maid Sailors (NYC office cleaning), we always tell our clients that keeping a clean workspace can help stop the spread of infectious diseases such as flu and COVID-19. Ideally, one should routinely clean all the frequently touched surfaces in the workplace such as desks, keyboards, countertops, and doorknobs.
In the same way, having a clean and organized workspace is also allows you to become more productive and focused at work. Many benefits come with it, such as lower stress levels- a cluttered workspace can affect our general mental health, high memory retention, and improved efficiency.
Create a work schedule
Since many people work from home, some of your freelance clients are probably working from home now.
Still, some of the people you work with might not have work-life boundaries. You also might not have a great work schedule in place that appropriately takes into account your work style.
Not only should you make sure that you have a work schedule in place, but you also have to make sure that you stick to it. Otherwise, there’s no point in your work schedule since you’re not following it anyway.
You have to reinforce your schedule to ensure that you stay productive at work while having a well-rounded life outside of it.
Stay fit and active
One challenge that comes with freelancing and staying at home is how comfortable it is to stay at home. It’s that easy to be a homebody, but it can lead to an inactive lifestyle. With an inactive lifestyle, it won’t only be your physical well-being that can take a turn for the worst here.
If you aren’t fit and aren’t living an active life, your mental health can also decline, affecting your mood, motivation, and productivity. Staying fit and active can help improve your mood, affecting your productivity.
Work smarter
As a freelancer, you have the freedom to dictate your hours depending on what you want your working style to be.
However, one thing that many freelancers become more aware of is that their hour is precious. They assume that working for hours can help increase their pay. Hence, it’s not surprising to see freelancers work longer hours than those who are employed.
Instead of falling for this thinking, you should learn how to work smarter. For one, you can start rejecting lower-paying jobs and start charging more so that the hours you spend on your work don’t feel ineffective.
Invest in proper gear
Another way you can live a happier and healthier lifestyle as a freelancer is by investing in proper gear. An excellent example would be ergonomic pieces of furniture.
Even though you might not be working in an office, you should have a dedicated workspace. And an ergonomic office table and chair can help you work efficiently without straining your back. That’s because such furniture pieces help maintain a good posture while working.
Meanwhile, having the right tools can help you be more efficient at your job. Imagine the ease of doing graphic design if you have a drawing tablet!
Overcome loneliness
One thing that you’re probably going to notice as a freelancer is that it’s relatively solitary work. Even though you have to deal with marketing, sales, and talking to customers, so you talk to all sorts of people, it can still be a lonely career.
If you’re not used to it, it’s easy for you to feel lonely, so make sure to watch out for that.
There might even be months when you don’t speak to another person related to your business. Therefore, if you want to overcome loneliness or avoid it, make sure that you initiate extra-curricular work.
For example, joining seminars and workshops can be a great way to interact with fellow professionals in your industry.
Make time to socialize
A part of overcoming loneliness should be a proactive approach to socializing. Instead of waiting for people to reach out to you to socialize, don’t hesitate to reach out to someone if you need that social interaction. You’ll find that it can even motivate you and inspire you to do better at your job.
If it’s been a while since you’ve last met up with family and friends, then hit them up and organize a get-together. With a healthy social circle behind you, you can fulfill your social needs. You’ll feel less isolated, which can be a depressing feeling for many of us.
Organize game nights, dine out at restaurants, watch a movie, and many more. There are so many things that you can do to socialize with loved ones, so if you have the urge, ask people out.
By following the freelancing tips listed above, you can start living a healthier and happier life and feel even more fulfilled as a freelancer. Try these out yourself to start living life to the fullest and put the free in freelancing.