How to Keep Your Sanity While Freelancing From Home
8 Simple tricks to comfort yourself and be among people
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
“It’s not all bad. Heightened self-consciousness, apartness, an inability to join in, physical shame and self-loathing — they are not all bad. Those devils have been my angels. Without them I would never have disappeared into language, literature, the mind, laughter and all the mad intensities that made and unmade me.” ― Stephen Fry
Most of the time I’m quite ok sitting in the same room all day with just myself for company. However, there are also days when I feel like an isolated hermit not participating in the wheels of society.
I’m sure that if you work from home as well, you know that feeling.
Some days the walls seem to close in on you by an inch. Lightly, tightly, slightly, forgetting how to interact with others.
There’s a plentitude of benefits working from home. You’re flexible to schedule your days as you please. You can even slip in a trip every once in a while. Or work in another country. You get to try to design a life of your desire.
The best part for me is, I’m working on stuff I love. I’m writing. I’m designing a lifestyle which allows me to chase my dream of becoming a successful novelist.
Still, how can you keep your sanity while working from home?
Walk
Sitting all day is detrimental to our health. Our muscles atrophy and we have a higher chance of developing diseases like osteoporosis or diabetes.
Although I’d like to do it more often, I try to go on walks after lunch. Just a quick one around the block or to pick up something from the supermarket.
It activates your muscles, you relax, you breathe in the fresh air. It gets you out of the house. I usually come up with ideas as well during a walk.
Exercise
Another great way to battle the atrophy of muscles and work on your health. After all, feeling energetic and healthy will boost your productivity and freelance output. Double win.
I recently joined the gym again after eight years! I have to get out of the house and be among people. Oh, the horror. Kidding of course.
Join a gym or a boot camp or yoga class. Be among other human beings.
Have a busy social life
I have to schedule ‘free’ nights to myself. It’s that bad. I love to meet up and have dinner and drinks with friends or go to the movies.
After I’ve spent my day mostly in isolation, being among friends is the right antidote. Most of my friends have regular jobs, which is great. I don’t discuss the ups and downs of freelancing all the time.
Meditate
I’ve been meditating on and off for the past five years. It works wonders. I can honestly say that I’ve become a calmer person because of meditation.
If I’m on deadlines or just have a crazy productive day, I have difficulty to shake that ‘hurrying’ feeling. Do you recognize that? Then it’s time to meditate.
For years, I’ve used Headspace. Recently, I switched to the ‘Waking Up’ app by author Sam Harris. I needed a change. I wanted to explore different methods and to be frank, I grew a bit tired of Andy’s voice (the guy from Headspace). In addition, I’m a fan of Harris’ work and he also provides daily lessons with philosophic and mindful insights.
Move during the day
Break up the time you sit. Try not to sit for hours straight. Of course, you get up for coffee, food, and toilet breaks. But you can be more creative than that!
I have a rebounder at home, the bellicon. I may be a bit biased, since I’m doing marketing work for them as well, but I’ve been rebounding for years.
I have one with folding legs to quickly stow away or get out. Usually, I have it next to my desk (read: kitchen table). Every time I walk past it, I jump for a bit. It’s fun and it activates my lazy muscles.
And to spice it up, I sometimes do some High-Intensity circuits or bounce for 20 minutes watching Netflix.
Do something creative
I earn most of my income with online marketing freelance work.
Writing is another source of income. It’s what I like to do most. Especially fiction.
Every morning, I work on my novel. It’s the best part of the day, plus I’ve already achieved something before I get to start work. Progress.
Losing myself in my imagination, in my made-up worlds, interacting with my characters, calms me down. I enter a flow state and teleport to another universe.
What creative endeavor can you slip in during the day? What takes your mind off of your work and transports you to a happy place?
Take a 5-minute break and do absolutely nothing
This may sound like a weird one, but it’s so great. We’re constantly distracting ourselves all day, wanting to be entertained. Can you imagine, being bored?
Well, try it. It’s odd, but it calms me down just as much as meditating does. I just sit in a chair and stare. Usually, my monkey mind has about 1,000 thoughts per minute, and I just listen to them. Mind happy, me happy.
Trying not to constantly be ‘busy’ gives our minds some space.
Work outside of the house
OK, this is an obvious one. In order to keep your sanity, you should escape your isolation every once in a while.
You can work in a cafe and be among people. I tried this a couple of times. Not only am I very productive when I do this, but I feel less alone when I do this. (And I’m a writer as well, I should be careful not to dwell in isolation).
You can work in a co-working space for a day (or two) per week. I have a friend who owns a co-working space. I might do some work for her. Then I can work over there two. I’m curious how this will be.
Another thing you can do it to accept a temporary gig in an office. Part of me wants to, it’s great to work in a team every once in a while. On the other hand, doing that jeopardizes my freedom which I value so much. Choices, choices. I’m on the lookout for a temporary one or two-day office job just to see what it’s like.
Conclusion
So there you have it. These are some of the hacks I use to keep my sanity while working and writing alone at home.
How do you keep your sanity while working in isolation?
Want to work together?
Besides writing short stories and blogs, I offer my marketing and communication skills to companies as a freelancer.
With 9+ years of experience in marketing, communication, and copywriting, I offer my services to businesses.
