The Mental Health of Being a Freelancer

While freelancing can seem an attractive option for working for yourself, it can also be a lonely and isolating experience. This is especially true if you are a freelancer who works from home.

It can be difficult to find a balance between work and life, and it can be hard to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning. On top of that, the safety nets an employee takes for granted (a manager who notices you are struggling, colleagues to talk to, sick pay) are not there. This is why it is important to take care of your mental health as a freelancer, and to set things up before you need them.

Set Boundaries

Boundaries reduce stress and the risk of burnout more than any other single habit. Here are some tips for setting them in your business:

• Set a schedule for work and stick to it. It could be that you work a set number of hours per day, or a set number of hours per week.
• Be clear about your availability. If you are not available, make sure your clients know, and put your working hours in your email signature.
• Set a limit on the number of clients you take on. Too many clients lead to rushed work and a lack of motivation. There are only so many hours in the day, and you need enough time to do the work well.
• You are in control of your business. You are not obliged to take on any work. If you are not comfortable with a project, or simply not available, you can say no.

A task tool helps here, because it moves the to-do list out of your head. Our comparison of task management tools for freelancers covers the free options.

Take Breaks

Taking breaks is important for your mental health. Long, intense work sessions are counterproductive and lead to burnout, while short breaks help you stay productive and creative. Take whole days off from time to time, too. Your brain needs the chance to recharge, and you will be more productive when you come back.

Book time off the way an employee would: put it in the calendar weeks ahead and tell clients in advance. Unplanned days off tend to be spent feeling guilty and checking email.

A Weekly Routine That Protects Your Headspace

Small, fixed habits do more than good intentions. Here is a simple routine to start from and adjust:

When	Habit	Why it helps
Every morning	Five-minute plan: three priorities for the day	Stops the whole to-do list feeling urgent
Every working day	A proper lunch break away from the desk, and outside if you can	Daylight and movement lift mood and focus
Every working day	A fixed finish time, then laptop closed	Keeps work from leaking into every evening
Once a week	Speak to another freelancer or friend about work	Breaks the isolation of working alone
Every Friday	Send invoices and check what is overdue	Turns money worries into a short, routine job
Once a month	A full day with no client work	Gives you time to recover and think about the business

Get Out Of The House

If you work from home, it is easy to stay in the house all day. That leads to a lack of motivation and very little social contact. Get out and get some fresh air, even if it is just a walk at lunchtime. It clears your mind and gives you a new perspective on your work.

Connect With Other Freelancers

It can sometimes be difficult to connect with other freelancers, especially if you work from home, but it is worth the effort. Joining a freelancing community lets you share ideas, get advice and have people around you who understand the ups and downs.

In many towns and cities there are coffee shops and co-working spaces that welcome freelancers. They are good places to meet people and get some work done. Alternatively, meet up with other freelancers for a coffee or lunch, in person or virtually.

If you have a large workload, it may be worth bringing in another freelancer. You can focus on the work you are good at and hand over the rest, which reduces stress.

Get The Right Amount Of Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep is important for your mental health. Without it you will feel tired and unmotivated, which leads to burnout and lower productivity. A regular bedtime, a fixed finish time for work and keeping the laptop out of the bedroom all help.

Once you are in a good sleeping routine, you may find you are more productive and motivated, and other areas of your life feel easier to manage too.

Manage Money Worries

Few things drain a freelancer's mental health faster than financial uncertainty, and a client who refuses to pay can turn a good month into a stressful one. The trick is to take the emotion out of it and treat non-payment as a process rather than a personal slight. Our guide on what to do when a UK client doesn't pay sets out the practical steps for recovering what you're owed, from charging statutory interest to using Money Claim Online, so you can act calmly instead of lying awake worrying about it.

A quiet spell with no work is the other common worry. Having a plan for it helps: a cash buffer of a few months' essential costs, and a routine for looking for work before you need it. Our guide to finding freelance clients covers where to start.

If You Can't Work: Sick Pay and Income Protection

This is the part most freelancers don't think about until it happens. Self-employed people do not get Statutory Sick Pay. If you are too unwell to work, your income stops.

• New Style Employment and Support Allowance may be available if you cannot work because of illness or disability. Whether you qualify depends on your National Insurance record, so check the current rules on GOV.UK.
• Income protection insurance pays a share of your income if you cannot work for a long period. It is worth pricing up once you rely on freelancing as your main income.
• A cash buffer covers the short gaps that neither of the above will.

Knowing what you would do if you were ill takes away a lot of background worry, even if you never need it.

Practice Self-Care

Taking care of your physical and mental health is important for all freelancers. Self-care can include exercise, meditation or anything else that helps you switch off. Whatever it means for you, make it part of your routine rather than something you get round to.

Look after your nutrition too. A healthy, balanced diet helps your overall mental health and reduces stress.

Make time for things you enjoy, whether that is reading, watching a film or going for a walk. Doing things that make you happy reduces stress and keeps you in a more positive frame of mind.

Signs Of Burnout

Burnout tends to creep up slowly. Watch for:

• Feeling irritable, negative or cynical about work you used to enjoy
• Dreading opening your inbox
• Tiredness that a weekend does not fix
• Putting off simple tasks and missing deadlines you would normally meet
• Poor sleep, headaches or getting ill more often

If you recognise several of these, take a break from work, even if it is just a few days, and look at what is causing it: too many clients, too few boundaries or money pressure. If things do not improve, speak to your GP.

Burnout is a serious issue and is best dealt with early. Left alone, it can lead to depression and other mental health problems.

Where to Get Help in the UK

You do not need to wait until things are bad to ask for help.

• Your GP is the usual starting point and can refer you to local services.
• NHS Talking Therapies in England takes self-referrals for anxiety and depression, so you can contact them without seeing your GP first. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own services; your GP can point you to them.
• Samaritans are available any time, day or night, on 116 123 (free).
• Shout offers free, confidential support by text: text SHOUT to 85258.
• Mind has information on stress, anxiety and burnout, and an infoline for advice on where to get support.

If you feel you might harm yourself or are in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is freelancing hard on mental health? Freelancers carry the whole business alone: finding work, doing it, chasing payment and covering their own sick days. Add irregular income and working on your own all day, and stress and isolation are common. Boundaries, routine and contact with other freelancers make a real difference.

How do I stop working all the time as a freelancer? Set fixed working hours, share them with clients and stop at the same time each day. Plan three priorities each morning rather than working through an endless list, and book time off in advance.

Do self-employed people get sick pay in the UK? No. Self-employed people are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. You may be able to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance depending on your National Insurance record, and income protection insurance can replace part of your income during a long illness.

What are the signs of freelance burnout? Common signs are irritability, dreading work you used to enjoy, tiredness that rest does not fix, missed deadlines and poor sleep. If you notice several, take a break and speak to your GP if things do not improve.

Where can a freelancer get mental health support in the UK? Start with your GP. In England you can also self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies. Samaritans are on 116 123 at any time, and Shout offers text support on 85258.