14 Golden Tips for Beating the Freelancer Blues

Jaden |
The Working Day
| January 23rd 2009

Freelancers, like their artist and writer predecessors, such as Vincent Van Gogh or Virginia Woolf, may be prone to depression, starving, and self-obsessing. To combat the freelancer blues, you need to schedule some sunshine into your calendar.

Here is a list to save your mind, body and soul from the snake pit.

The Reeling Freelancer Mind

1. Look at the world around you and to the limitless possibilities of your future. Do not focus on what you haven’t done or what you don’t like about yourself. Be busy doing positive productive things that bring you nearer to your goals.

2. Get involved with your community. Do things that give back. Perform random acts of kindness.

3. Don’t let the naysayers weigh you down; they are usually envious, clueless, or insensitive and why should you care what a person like that thinks?

4. Schedule time for yourself to do things you enjoy that are not related to work. You will be surprised just how much they inspire and improve your work.

5. Love and accept yourself, just as you love and accept the ocean, the fish, the sun, the animals, the plants, the insects, and the earth. You are equally beautiful and unique. We do not judge slimy warty green frogs, so why judge yourself so harshly?

The Stagnant Freelancer Body

1. Exercise at least an hour a day and stretch each hour. Do not sit all day every day at your desk or you will be at high risk of depression due to a hormonal imbalance in your body. Keep the blood flowing and pumping ample oxygen and other biological goodies into your brain.

2. Eat healthy. Healthy is different for everyone; it is not just a word on a box. Healthy food for you means knowing what illnesses and allergies you have. Top allergic foods are wheat, peanuts, and milk. Your body may be rejecting certain types of “healthy” foods, which may cause you emotional or physical breakdowns. Learn your body. Make time to eat well. There is nothing more pertinent to your life; you are nothing without food, but it takes the right food. Appreciate food and make it an important part of your schedule. Eat meals and healthy snacks every 3-5 hours, something fresh, protein-rich, and alkaline foods are best. Avoid highly processed foods and sweets.

3. Sex. [Hope this gets past the editor.] Sex is valuable. It reminds your body that you are alive and why you are here, scientifically or religiously speaking, to procreate. Once you stop orgasming, your body thinks the show has ended, but orgasms create hormones that make you feel good and look younger. The orgasm can be alone or with a partner, but it should be in a positive safe environment.

4. Read newspapers and old books; get away from that computer screen when possible so you don’t zap out your eyeballs.

The Creative Freelancer Soul

1. Socialize. Talk to people every day. Make plans to visit friends or family at least once a week.

2. Limit your television watching and Internet browsing to no more than two hours a day.

3. Be away from your desk a few waking hours of everyday.

4. Open your front door and go outside each day. Don’t be scared, just do it.

5. Seriously evaluate your relationships. Maybe there is a person who is distracting you from being a productive and successful freelancer. Avoid abusive, controlling, negative, and apathetic types of people. Depending on how severe the person’s behavior is and how much it affects you, this may mean limiting time with certain family members, a break-up, or not serving particular clients. To feel positive and happy, you need to have supportive, glowing people around you.

What happiness have you penned into your calendar today?