Mental health is essential to a happy, healthy life. According to the National Mental Illness Alliance (NAMI), one in five Americans experience mental health problems; a statistic converts into more than 40 million adults a year.
The benefits of being able to work from anywhere have helped people to find a work and life balance with which they are comfortable. Nonetheless, freelancers and remote workers who, most of the time, work alone understand the negative side of working this way.
More and more remote and freelancers today say they feel lonely, anxious, and depressed. This is according to a new survey and report. At the end of the day, human beings are social creatures, and working alone for extended periods has negative consequences.
Why Taking Care Of Your Mental Health Is Essential
Emotional and mental wellbeing are absolutely essential. This is because they are a crucial part of your life and have an effect on your feelings, behaviors, and emotions. Being healthy emotionally can promote productivity and effectiveness in work, school, or caregiving activities. It plays a vital role in the health of your relationships. Good mental health allows you to adapt and cope with adversity and changes in your life.
Mental illness impacts our work. For example, it is associated with decreased productivity and irritability. This may lead to increased interpersonal conflict, increased absenteeism, and short-and long-term disability. So, it is essential to create a safe and healthy workplace environment.
It can be beneficial to provide resources to a colleague who may suffer from a mental health problem, or to guide him or her in the right direction. It is essential to enable people to seek professional care and to provide encouragement, compassion, and acceptance.
It's important to know that it is possible to treat mental illness. Evidence-based psychological treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, is useful for numerous mental health problems. People can enjoy their lives again, experience improved functioning, and then resume their personal, academic, and/or professional objectives.
There are also other treatment options, including medicine and brain stimulation, among others. Therefore, to ensure that the correct treatment and recovery plan is in place. It is crucial to seek professional care just as you would if you had cancer, heart disease, or diabetes.
How To Have Better Mental Health As A Freelancer
Freelancing has many benefits. To make sure that you are able to reap the benefits and feel healthy while doing so, check out these tips below.
Tip #1: Have A Clear Set Of Priorities
Be crystal-clear about what you want to get out of the experience before you even start your freelancing business. Looking for more spare time? Or do you want to make a lot of money? Want to have a freelance job for the rest of your career? Or is this a temporary solution until you really find a job that you like? Changing your answers along the way is totally ok, but you should have an idea of what defines success in your eyes.
Tip #2: Learn How To Negotiate With Yourself
Being your own boss means you'll answer to the world's toughest person— you. What's worse, a "boss" that will always stay in the background with you. You can't leave your desk, go to a bar and tell a friend about "that jerk you're working for." Many freelancers are guilty of being very critical of themselves, continually nitpicking on the never-quite-done job or lack of commitment. As a consequence, they continuously remain anxious and stressed.
Know how to compromise with that critic sitting inside you to stop this scenario. Get better at creating daily lists that are more realistic. Celebrate your accomplishments daily and practice gratitude. Cognitive scientists say that you should do the "three good things" exercise on a regular basis. It is the naming of three good moments or things that happened during the day. You can witness significant improvements in mental health and general happiness.
Tip #3: Rest At Least One Hour A Day During Work
Block off at least one hour each day, which is dedicated to you. Use this time to do something that keeps you energized. You may also get depressed when you don't work out for more than a few days. This, in turn, affects the quality of your job, your relationships, and your sense of well-being. Every hour may be devoted to journaling, meditating, working out, or having coffee with a friend.
Whatever the operation, make sure you actually block out the time somewhere, whether it's on your phone or in your Google Calendar as a reminder. Sometimes, when you are busy, it is easy to push off this time.
Tip #4: Do Not Fear Failure And Rejection
One of the common issues holding people back from becoming freelancers is the fear of rejection and criticism. Working for yourself means that every negative comment is going to land straight before you. However, a lot of people prefer contract or freelancing jobs as a way to channel their passion for design, writing, or coding.
And that's why rejection and criticism often feel more personal for freelancers than for corporate employees. Frequent rejections also undermine your trust, motivation, and ultimately can make your mental state worse. So it would help if you found specific ways to deal with it that work for you.
Tip #5: Socialize From Time To Time
Socialization and networking are often prescribed as the best recipe for handling the syndrome of "lonely freelancers." Despite the standard line of advice, however, freelancers should stop seeking other freelancers' company. You may find yourself stuck in a feedback loop of pressure and stress. Your feelings may be compounded by your peers' experience when the people you see the most experience the same woes and struggle with the same anxieties.
Make sure you connect with people who have nothing to do with your lifestyle or business. In this way, you are opening up to more diverse and constructive experiences.
Conclusion
Our mental health covers our physical, psychological, and social well-being. This means that it affects the way we look, think, and behave every day. Our mental health also contributes to our decision-making process. This also relates to how we deal with stress and how we relate to others in our lives.
For more tips on how to overcome stress when working remotely, click here.
