It started with a dull headache but I attributed it to sinusitis. I felt dull like a blank sheet of paper. Even worse, I realized that my mind was wandering every few minutes when I had so much work to do.
I had set up a strict regimen for myself as a writer. I had clients giving me several orders for content every day, including Sunday. I was working hard, trying to turn my dreams into reality.
Freelancing was a field I had chosen after a long stint in the corporate world. When I left my day job, I told myself that this is what I would like to do.
Mark Twain said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
The symptoms suggested that I was facing burnout and I knew I’d better do something about it. But why was I facing burnout if I was doing what I liked?
The word “freelance” originates from the words free and lance. A couple of hundred years ago there were mercenaries on hire who would use their lances in exchange for a sum of money. A freelancer does the same thing i.e. work at whatever they’re good at, for a fee.
The problem is that freelancing alternates between periods of abundance and scarcity giving it a seesaw effect. At one time, my order book would be full for the coming weeks and months. Then came a time when the orders came down to a big zero.
I knew I would get busy again but the days with no work were stressful with all kinds of thoughts crossing my mind. The stress of having no orders only matched the stress of racing against time to complete them — when I had orders.
Freelancing is a hustle that keeps your brain working 24 x 7. When you’ve finished doing your tasks for the day your mind does not switch off. It might then think about other things related to work, like content ideas for the next day.
Unlike a day job, a freelancer’s office hours never come to a close.
I remember burning the midnight oil so that I can meet deadlines for clients’ orders. Late hours, continually staring at the computer screen and sitting for hours used to take a toll on me, mentally and physically.
There is no such thing as passive income for a freelancer. Compensation is directly proportional to the amount of daily grind.
But the good news is that there are ways to avoid burnout. They’re not too difficult to implement either.
A vacation is a good solution. But I can understand a freelancer especially in his first few months of business trying to maximize his income. So no, it may not always be possible to take a vacation.
But there are other ways that offer good relief:
- Take a half day break.
- Go for a movie or watch a game.
- Go for a short outing in your city or area.
- Keep your mind off work by doing something else
- Play the piano or beat the drums if you have a musical bent of mind.
- Read a few pages of a book of fiction or a topic that you enjoy reading, every day.
Believe me, short breaks do wonders! Like I mentioned in the first point above it could be just half a day. You could still work for the other half and catch up with your schedule.
Besides, I reduced physical stress while working by taking a few easy steps.
- I have an app called f.lux installed on my desktop and laptop. What it does is reduce eye strain according to the time of the day. In their own words, they make computer light “softer during the day, warm at sunset, firelight before bed.” It’s free to use.
2. A wrist-gel mouse and an ergonomic keyboard reduce stress on my hands and fingers. Ergonomic keyboards are expensive, but they’re worth it!
3. My chair has a cushion for supporting my back. I know that’s not enough so I follow the Pomodoro technique taking a break every 25 minutes to stretch myself and move around.
4. I keep my headphones on to keep listening to soothing music while I work. It keeps me calms and free of distractions too.
5. I am slowly building a brand to keep myself motivated. When you know that your name will precede your reputation in due course of time(all positive!), any chance of burnout will disappear.
Burnout is caused by doing repetitive tasks that start to seem pointless because they’re helping someone else even though you are getting paid.
One of the top two levels of Maslow’s hierarchy is esteem that includes status and recognition. The topmost tier is self-actualization.
Maslow’s theory illustrates that humans need more than money and security to keep them happy.
Last but not least, efficient time management can reduce burnout to a large extent. That you are always ahead of your schedule makes you feel relaxed.
After all, it feels so good to relax after a hard day of work!
What steps do you take to avoid burnout? Please comment below.
Thanks for reading!
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