Hey, Be Careful! Remote Work and Freelance Can Mess Up Your Life

Hustling at the cost of your well-being and mental health isn't worth it!

You have the cash to Netflix and chill. The schedule and hours are yours to create. In a way, you're in control of your destiny and time.

Yes, freelancing is sweet. There's no way laying in the comfort of your bed and tuning in to your favorite TV program while finalizing your project won't be thrilling.

Freelancing or remote work can be fun, profiting, rewarding, and amazing. However, the amazing things in life can as well be one's undoing. Maybe, maybe not. Remote work and freelance can mess up your life. Here's why and what you should do:

1. Neglecting your health and personal care

Your mental and physical health comes first. This career can make you neglect your health, personal care, and social life. Overworking to earn more at the expense of your sleep and other life physical activities leads to burnout.

Staying indoors all day can be bad for your body. It can create long-term side effects such as neck and spine problems, back pain, and even anxiety and depression.

Working from home can also make you relaxed and lazy to go outside since you're mostly consumed with work and can make others take care of things for you. Why go out to purchase beverages when you could order them?

What would you do? Create time and even days to rest, exercise, go outside, socialize, and eat healthy food. It's cool if you don't have a diet routine but start by reducing your sugar intake.

Importantly, be sure to add outside activities to your day. It's cool if you don't have a gym or fitness routine. You can do an easy daily workout by jogging, press-ups, or walking 30 minutes to cafes and bus stops.

Doing any of this helps you revitalize and put in the best as you have a clear mind and healthy body.

Remember that health is wealth. Hustling at the cost of your well-being and mental health can give you chronic health challenges later in the future.

2. Feeling isolated

Many times you're in your PJs working behind your desk. Sitting with your laptop. And trying to meet up with deadlines.

You live a different lifestyle to many people. This is your life. Always indoors. Gradually, maybe without even knowing, you'd get disconnected and isolated.

What would you do in this instance? First, accept that it's your new life. Don't work yourself to a jeck. Find some time off to recharge.

Always create little time out of your schedule to do different things. You can use the time to go to the gym, concentrate on your Netflix, hang out, or have fun with your buddies.

Meanwhile, don't be carried out by your definition of fun and forget your projects and deadlines. Be time conscious!

3. Uncertainty

You won't be so sure when it comes to freelancing. It comes with unlimited upside that can put you in a mental state. Whether you're a content writer, marketer, or frontend developer, clients can renege and won't always pay on time.

In addition, you may not be sure where your next lead will come from. And there's no steady paycheck to fall back on. You can be freelancing at the cost of other personal and professional growth. You may go all in and risk it all!

Your profit or payment can arrive at weird intervals, which will be stressful. There's more uncertainty in this career. It may not sit well, especially with beginners. At times, you'll think of quitting and wishing to have a normal 9-5 job.

Tight deadlines can be your nightmares, especially when you’ve delivered the work but the client wants more revisions, thereby messing up your other schedules.

4. You're in for more work

Expect more work, especially when you've created a name for yourself in a niche. You're your CEO, the project manager, the designer, and the creative.

You'll manage clients, offer support, correct errors or bugs, and follow up invoices. You'll also need to get out of your comfort and do more work, especially as a beginner.

In other words, customers and clients won’t always come knocking. You'll put in more work day in and day out. Overworking may be your new norm. It'll be for you, "The more you work the more you earn."

What would you do? To avoid overworking yourself to earn more, know when to say no. Find the balance and go for quality over quantity!

Yes, you want to earn more, but don't take on many jobs that put you on tight deadlines and affect your work quality.

5. It's difficult to stay motivated at times

In this career, it's often hard to stay motivated. Procrastination can drain your productivity. You may be gasping for motivation and self-discipline to stay focused.

You can be distracted by your smartphones, trends on Twitter, Netflix, and Tv programs. It'll be even more difficult if you find it hard to be productive on your accord.

6. Not investing

Most freelancers, especially big guns, are reluctant to invest and diversify their incomes. A freelancer earning $2000 with an $800 lifestyle can invest in passive income streams or save for a mortgage.

Several freelancers are comfortable since they're making it in already, forgetting that the career is uncertain. A change of things can affect one's freelance journey.

What Are The Tips To Have A Successful Freelance Journey?

• Carefully choose the clients you wish to work with. Not all clients are worth the energy and time.

• Create times you're most productive and when to recharge.

• Learn how to say no to avoid much work pressure that comes with working on too many jobs while scrambling to meet work deadlines.

• Always research and check a client's history before working with them.

• When a client refuses to pay for your previous work without a clear explanation and expects you to continue doing his work, you may disagree.

• Ensure to respect your clients, however, know when to draw a line.

• Finally, put a value on your worth, create room for growth, learn more skills, diversify your income, and always give yourself enough sleep at night.

Generally, don't get carried away by hustle culture. Take care of your mental and physical health.