What Does Freelancing Take?

Freelancing is a dream career for many yet difficult ones for others as they face obstacles. Those people still think 9-5 jobs are far better than freelancing. I have already discussed the difference between traditional jobs and freelancing but again repeating some common things that how it is better and how not.

POSITIVE FEATURES OF FREELANCING

• You are the boss of your own.
• The versatility of projects so less boredom.
• Flexible routine and work timings.
• Variable workload. 
• Work from anywhere and everywhere.
• Can earn more than an employee.

NEGATIVE FEATURES OF FREELANCING

• Disturbed routine.
• The job is un-secure.
• Dealing with difficult clients.
• No extra benefits to that employee get.
• Mismatch of personal and professional life.
• It can negatively impact your health.
• Your eye health is compromised.
• Become affected by the long sitting syndrome.
• Your lifestyle becomes sluggish.
• Stress and depression might increase in your life.
• Your nutrition is compromised.

Why People Quit Freelance Career?

• LARGE GAPS BETWEEN ORDERS OR NO CONTRACTS AT ALL

The main issue due to which people quit freelancing is that either they are not getting enough contracts or orders and those coming are with a large gap. They get frustrated and end up quitting freelance career.

• ZERO PAYMENT GUARANTEE

As you all know there is no fixed job or fix payments in freelancing careers. If you have a good and vast set of skills in freelancing that you are having an income source from many projects. Or if you have a fixed client payment is almost fixed for you.

If you are someone who has no other income but only freelancing and you are one in the family to earn bread and butter, then you might quit freelancing as there are zero guarantees of payments.

• FEELING LONELY AND WANT TO SOCIALIZE

Freelancing is all about you and your electronic device. There is less to no human or social contact, people need change they want to socialize and quit freelancing and loneliness. Man is a social object, all need socializing it helps you in several ways. 

If you don’t socialize enough you not only end up having alone but it will affect you in a negative way. People quit freelancing because they can’t be alone anymore and the demand for their work needs them to be alone.

• UNABLE TO COPE UP ON IMPROPER ROUTINE

There are no fixed job hours in freelancing and hence no fixed routine. Often freelancers end up having a sluggish lifestyle. Freelancing helps them to work anywhere and everywhere but without any proper routine. People get tired of this improper routine, quit freelancing, and start a 9-5 job.

• PERSISTENCE IS NOT YOUR THING 

In a traditional job also there are people who are not persistent with anything. Those people keep on changing their job or their career. They get bored easily and hence when those kinds of people come to freelancing they end up quitting it.

• YOU ARE QUITE IMPATIENT 

It is not necessary that you always get what you want or need. Good things and success might come to up but comes in later edges of life. If you are impatient then there is no doubt that freelancing is not for you. Freelancing needs a lot of courage and patience to wait until you get succeeded. This is the reason impatient people quit freelancing earlier and easier than others.

Advice To Those Who Are Thinking To Quit Freelance Career

If you are thinking to quit freelancing no matter due to whatever reason. Maybe your reason is listed above or it’s not on the list. In both circumstances quitting something without any good reason is not actually an option in my opinion. 

I will never advise anyone to quit anything due to any reason. You have to keep on trying until the last of the possibilities. 

WHAT TO DO?

If I think of only one thing that can make you successful in everything in life no matter if it is weight loss or a career or freelancing. One thing that can confirm your success is not hard work, not punctuality but it is actually only one thing

‘’CONSISTENCY’

Stay consistent no matter what, keep on going, and maybe late but you will succeed.

Lastly, I want to wrap up my discussion with a quote well said by E. James Rohn in my words:

“Success is neither unusual nor strange. Success is the natural result of the consistency of basics.”

In the freelancing world, this is understood that the work to be done is on a laptop or computer while sitting. Prolong use of screen damages eye health while prolong sitting not only make your lifestyle sluggish but also responsible for your muscles and bone weakness. 

Prolong sitting leads to serious problems such as Deep venous thrombosis can also be taken place. Especially bad sitting posture leads to back and vertebral disc-related issues as well which I will discuss in my next coming article. To avoid your muscles to get stiff, weakened, and lazy, as a freelancer, you must include basic stretches in your lifestyle.

How Prolong Sitting Affect Muscles?

You may feel relaxed for sitting a major part of your day and sometimes you need to sit for prolonged periods due to work if you are a freelancer. But in either way, you feel relaxed but your muscles and joints are facing the bad effects of your actions. 

Lack of activity for prolonged periods leads to putting pressure and stress on muscles and joints especially while sitting. Your body is made for functioning in most parts of the day and this is how your heart, your gut, your mind, and your muscles remain healthy all the time. When you go against nature the effects will be reversed.

In prolonging sitting not only your activity will be less but your muscles and veins become stiff, your blood circulation will be lower and hence it may lead to swelling independent areas such as your feet and your glutes.

Muscles of your legs, your back, and glutes will become stiff and it may lead to muscle weakness and pain in them and they will be more prone to injuries than usual.

The worst and major problem due to prolonged sitting is when discs in the middle of your vertebrae start to slide due to the excessive pressure they starting bulging if it persists leads to herniation because muscles around it will be weak and unable to hold it from bulging or herniating. 

Deep venous thrombosis is another serious and major problem with prolonged sitting. When there is less activity or no activity for prolong periods of time you will get less blood circulation and there will be pooling of blood in the veins of the legs. A clot might form in any leg veins and occlude it, if it dislodged from there it went into the lungs causing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. 

And overall your health and your metabolism will be affected you will get weight gain and many other problems such as heart issues, high blood pressure with that as well. 

Why Morning Stretch Routine Is Beneficial and Prevent Muscle Damage?

Not only including exercise in your daily routine leads you out from problems of prolonged sitting. Because you may exercise for say 1 hour daily for 5 days straight but if you sit for the next 12 hours on the couch the problem will be still the same. 

Research shows that standing for 30 minutes each hour will help produce better health benefits, so the solution to the problem is simple you move every single hour sometime. 

Exercise is not yet neglected here as studies show that 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day can reverse major adverse effects of prolonged sitting. 

But here we are talking about how stretching helps muscles and prevent them from damage, especially the morning stretch routine. Here’s why:

• Your muscle will become more flexible.
• Muscles end up strong and healthy.
• Your range of movement will increase.
• The joints will become strong.
• You will be more vulnerable to injury.
• Your balance will improve and you can avoid falls.
• Bloodstream to your muscles will be improved.
• Helps to reduce muscle aches if you have any 
• Also helps you with sustaining proper posture.
• Stress relief and reduce depression.

What To Include In Morning Stretch Routine? 

There are different types of stretches but today I will discuss 2 to include in your morning stretch routine.

• STATIC:

  Hold the stretch or position for 15-30 seconds. 

• DYNAMIC:

  They are more of the progressive movement that makes stretch on muscle, without holding in the end. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR EVERY STRETCH

• Work on your breathing. Keep inhaling through the nose and release it through the mouth.
• Do all movements slowly and gradually.
• Hold the pose for 15-30 seconds.
• Don’t force yourself to do till the point you can easily do it.
• When releasing the position do it slowly.

The 12 Minutes Morning Stretch Routine

As a freelancer, it’s difficult for you to keep on your time track. As you freelance and not on 9-5 job and hence have no fixed timings for work. You can’t keep the same time for a stretch I understand. But I will recommend doing it first thing in the morning. When you wake up your muscle are stiff and the need to stretch. I am telling you below 12 simple stretches especially for your back, spine, hips, and legs.

1. COBRA STRETCH POSE

• Lie on your stomach. 
• Fix your hands underneath your shoulder level. 
• Put your elbows by your sides.
• Raise your head and chest, keeping your hips on the ground.

2. CHILD’S STRETCH POSE

• Place your ankles under your hips.
• Your knees facing forward and outward.
• Bend forward on your thighs touching your chest.
• Relax your arms forward straight. 
• Bend and relax your head towards the ground in direction of your knees.

3. DOWNWARD DOG POSE

• Rests on the ground on your stomach. 
• Straight your arms and push the ground.
• Raise your hips and legs above the ground.
• Raise your heels above the ground and stand on toes.
• Roll your shoulders down and back.
• Keep your spine straight.

4. WARRIOR POSE

• Stand up neutral.
• Stretch your legs side by side.
• Bend the knee of your forward leg.
• Twist your torso towards your bended knee.
• Stretch your torso backward.
• Raise your hands above your head and backward.

5. FORWARD BENDING

• Stand upright on your feet.
• Raise your hands above your head.
• Slowly bring your hands downwards towards your ankles.
• Place them ok your knees, your feet, or on the ground as per your comfort level.
• Slowly back u from the position.

6. HIP BRIDGE 

• Lie on your back on the ground.
• Place your hands on the level of shoulders on the ground.
• Relax your back and hips
• Slowly raise your hips and thighs above the ground and hold.
• Come back down slowly.

7. KNEES UP TO CHEST 

• Lie on the ground on your back. 
• Bring your knee to your chest by folding.
• Help your knees with your hands.
• Hold then release slowly.

8. SPINAL TWIST

• Sit comfortably on the ground. 
• Straighten both of your legs. 
• Put your one leg over to the opposite leg on the ground.
• Gently roll your back towards the side and back.
• Go as far as you can.
• Come back to neutral slowly.

9. NECK MUSCLE STRETCH

• Sit in an upright position. 
• Move your neck on the left try to touch your left ear on your left shoulder.
• Using your arms help. 
• Do it on the right side with the same method. 
• Can be done for the front and back of the neck with the same stretch.

10. SIDE STRETCH 

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Clasp your hands above your head. 
• Gently lean your body to one side.
• Move back up then repeat for another side.

11. QUADRICEPS STRETCH

• Stand straight.
• Hold onto the wall with the right hand.
• Reach and snatch your left foot with your left hand. 
• Pull your left foot above towards hip and stretch your quadriceps.
• Repeat for another side.

12. HAMSTRING STRETCH

• Sit on the floor
• Bend one knee. 
• Put the opposite leg straight on the floor, toes pointing to the ceiling. 
• Bend your upper body forward reach for your outright feet. 
• Repeat for the opposite leg.

Lastly, for your health as a freelancer, not only stretch routine but overall nutrition and lifestyle modifications will help. But if you include this 12 minutes morning stretch routine in your day this will positively impact your health.

A bad sitting posture is not only for freelancers but in traditional desk jobs also people have bad sitting postures while working on their desks in front of a computer. I will focus on the bad sitting posture of freelancers only and how it affects them. I will also make you learn what is the correct sitting posture for freelancers.

After the COVID-19 pandemic freelance career is growing rapidly. If you are someone who has just begun your freelancing journey let’s say you are a freelance writer. This article is important for you and all experienced freelancers as well so they can apply correct sitting posture while working.

Few Words About Correct Posture And It’s Benefits

Correct posture is what your spine has and aligned with it. Anything except this is incorrect. No matter you sit, stand, or lie down. If your body is not aligned with your spine then your posture is not correct. 

Your Spine Naturally Has 3 Curves:

1. The outward curve at the level of the neck.
2. The inward curve at the level of your chest.
3. The outward curve at the level of your hips or lower back.

If Your Posture is Correct and Aligned With the Spine You Will Have:

• Less stress on the muscles and joints during and sort of movement.
• Your muscles, ligaments, and joints are less likely to get injured.
• You will be able to maintain your balance properly.
• The spine will be preserved and secured.
• You will be free from all unnecessary pains and aches.

What Are Usually Practiced Bad Postures?

I am mentioning some of the commonly practiced bad postured by freelancers for their work:

• Hunched forward and sloughed shoulders while sitting.
• Holding a mobile phone between the neck and your shoulder while talking.
• Sitting on a sofa with your legs up on the table of the chair.
• Putting the laptop on your lap while using it.
• Lean your neck down towards the screen while using a mobile or laptop.
• Using the laptop while lying on the bed straight or at your side.
• Lean forward towards the screen sitting in a chair.
• Don’t rest your back on the chair and sitting at the edge of the chair.
• Look at your screen with chin forward.
• Sitting with an inadequate distance from your screen.
• Sitting for excessive periods.

Harmful Effects Of A Bad Sitting Posture

There are many problems associated with this issue most common are listed below:

• Unnecessary stress on your muscles and bones.
• Persistent pain in the body or specific muscle.
• Eyestrain and eye-related issues.
• Bad or inadequate blood flow.
• Pain due to nerve compression.
• Permanent damage or change of alignment to your vertebrae results in reshaping of your back and overall posture.
• Damage to your spinal cord.
• Headache, neck ache, and other body aches.
• Exaggerate your current condition such as arthritis. 
• Unnecessary fatigue.
• Mood related issues and disorders.
• Stress and Depression.

What Is The Correct Sitting Posture For Freelancers?

Follow these steps to correct your posture or convert your bad posture to the correct sitting posture. Maybe initially this will be difficult for you, but gradually you will make it a habit.

1. REST YOUR BACK AT CHAIR’S BACK

• Pur your lower back up to the chair’s back.
• Then rest your upper back on your chair’s back.
• Keep your back straight with support to the chair. 
• Make all your curves align with the chair

2. USE THE ADJUSTABLE CHAIR

• Adjust the chair up to your height.
• Make sure your feet are touching on the ground firmly.
• Also, adjust other areas of your chair if there is an option. 

3. KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT

• Adjust your upper and lower back to the back of your chair.
• Support your back and its curves fully to the chair.

4. USE PROPER DESK

• Use a desk that has a proper position and distance from you while sitting.
• The desk must be on an adequate level to your body not very high not very low.

5. KEEP SCREEN AT YOUR EYE LEVEL

• Keep the screen at your eye level is a must.
• Keeping the screen at eye level will improve your eye health.
• If you keep the screen at eye level you don’t have to tilt your neck below to look at the screen, hence helping you to keep your neck straight.
• Also, tilt the screen up to 10-15 degrees backward.

6. PUT YOUR FEET FIRMLY ON THE GROUND

• Lie your feet on the ground.
• There should 90-degree angle between your pelvis and your thighs.
• A 90-degree angle between your knees and your legs.

7. ROLL YOUR SHOULDERS BACKWARDS

• Don’t roll your shoulders forward.
• Keep your shoulders rolled backward aligned by your body.
• Keep your elbows adjacent and close to your body as well.

8. OTHER INSTRUCTIONS

• Assemble everything around you before sitting so they are easy to reach for when needed.
• Use adequate screen brightness for decreasing eyestrain and use glasses for eliminating the blue light effects.
• Keep your keyboard and mouth in front and near to you.
• Don’t use your lap for your laptop instead use a desk.
• Keep your legs at 90 degrees to your pelvis bone, don’t cross them or spread them forward.
• Exercise and stretch regularly for improving your posture.
• Take a break every 30 mins for 10 mins at least.
• Use hands-free for talking on the phone. 
• Avoid bending forward or lean down your head at any point.
• Put some pressure on both sides of the body.
• If you are sitting on your bed use a laptop stand. 
• Keep your neck relaxed and don’t poke your chin forward on screen.

In a nutshell, yes, freelancing is an awesome and far most easier job when it comes to lifestyle. Instead, do it with the right sitting posture to avoid any health consequences realted to it. Indulge yourself with a proper desk, chair, and computer glasses and enjoy your work.

Until now in the series, you already know what Freelancing is and its increasing trend in this pandemic of COVID-19, and how it differs from traditional jobs? How to be a freelance writer and what are the types of freelance writing jobs? What obstacles freelancers face in which one of them is health concerns including eye health, sluggish lifestyle, and depression. Today’s topic nutrition for freelancers is another essential one related to health concerns as well.

Why Learning Nutrition For Freelancers Is Important?

Normally in an office job, people get paid if they get a sick day off, but as a freelancer, you will get what you work for. That is why nutrition and health are more important than other fields for freelancers. 

As a freelancer chunk of your time in the day is carried out as sitting and working on your laptop or computer. You are searching for jobs and working on current jobs all day and night until the process repeats. In this agitation, you often forget to eat or make unhealthy choices just for a sake of filling up your tummy in less time.

But nutrition is not only for filling up yourself when you are a hungry but far more important element of your overall wellbeing. If you don’t eat much and proper you will lack essential nutrients needed by your body which can affect adversely. If you eat unmindfully and make bad choices for your meals you will end up gaining weight that has harmful consequences on your body and health.

What Does A Healthy Balanced Nutrition Include?

According to the National Health Service UK, a healthy balanced diet must include:

• Your food should be rich in fiber.
• Water intake must be up to the mark at least 6-8 glasses / 24 hours.
• Include one serving of dairy in any form per day.
• Keep your protein high which is needed for your body in several ways. Recommended as per FDA 50gms / 24 hours.
• 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. 
• Eat essential fats and cut down saturated fats.
• Include all nutrients within ranges recommended by the FDA. 

 How To Determine That You Are Nutritionally Deficient?

When nutrition for freelancers is not up to the mark and they are consuming fewer calories than advised. The body will respond to it in several ways such as:

• You will feel lethargic, tired, and experience brain fog all the time.
• Hair, skin, and nails will dry out or become damaged.
• You might experience constipation.
• The immune system went down and you might experience easy to get an infection and slow recovery.
• Weight gain or weight loss.
• Metabolism will become slower.
• Lack of nutrition may lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches.
• It can stress you out which leads you to depression.

How To Calculate Your Calorie Requirements?

The daily calorie requirements are estimated by your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and physical activity level (sedentary, active, involved in the exercise, etc.)

It differs according to your goals whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your current weight. As a freelancer, if exercise is not a part of your daily routine then you might end up sedentary and start gaining weight. Learn how to lose weight.

Calculate your BMR using the revised Harris-Benedict equation:

For Men = 【10 x weight in kgs】 ✢ 【6.25 x height in cms】 – 【5 x age in yrs】 ✢ 5

For Women = 【10 x weight in kgs】 ✢ 【6.25 x height in cms】 – 【5 x age in yrs】 – 161

What Are Unhealthy Food Options And What Effects They Have On Your Body?

Foods which are unhealthy are often good in taste and that is why people crave them the most such as:

• Sugary drinks and beverages.
• Bad foods such as pizza, chips, burgers, so forth.
• Bakery items as white bread, and biscuits.
• Fried food items such as french fries.
• Cake, cupcakes, pastries. 
• Ice cream.
• Candies, lollipops, jelly.
• Processed foods such as cheese, meat, sauces.
• Refined grains options that lack fiber.

HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR HEALTH?

No matter if you feel good after eating all these things I mentioned above, you feel satisfied and full but your body responds differently to it. It has more adverse effects than you can imagine. Some of them listed below:

1. You are probably going to put on weight and become obese.
2. You will be at high risk of developing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. They all can carry out major issues such as heart problems, cancer, and stroke.
3. Lack of nutrients with unhealthy food options leads you to have unstable digestibility.
4. Depression will be your ultimate result, when your body got depressed with unwanted toxins it will directly affect your mental health.
5. Your metabolism and immune system will be slowed with time.
6. The sleep cycle will be disturbed.
7. You might end up insulin sensitive and eventually as diabetic.
8. High hormonal issues.
9. Your diet will reflect on your skin, hair, and nails.

Attain Nutritional Objectives As A Freelancer With These Simple Tips

1. Include green and leafy seasonal vegetable servings 3 per day.
2. Eat any seasonal fruit of choice twice a day.
3. Drink enough water in 24 hours of 6-8 glasses, keep your water bottle with you.
4. Find out and learn about nutrition and plan your meals likewise.
5. Split and learn your macronutrients 45-65% carbohydrates, 25-35% fats, and 10-35% proteins as per USDA.
6. Drinking green tea instead of milk tea is an alternative. 
7. Eat fiber in form of fruits, vegetables, nuts, or husks.
8. Choose healthy snacks such as dry fruits, rice cakes, low sugar smoothie, protein shakes, or bars instead of unhealthy ones.
9. Take at least 3 large meals a day with 2 snacks minimum.
10. Don’t drink calories such as soda, sugary and fizzy drinks, or sugar in your tea or coffee.
11. Keep your snacks with you while working, so it’s easier for you to reach for them. 
12. Use apps like myfitnesspal for tracking your calories and your macronutrients.
13. Include exercise in your daily routine at least 3 times per week. 
14. Take breaks in between your work 10 mins for every 60 minutes.
15. Sleep adequately and peacefully six to eight hours per night.
16. Plan your meals ahead of the day so you avoid binging on unhealthy options.
17. Never miss breakfast, don’t turn on your laptop before having your breakfast.
18. If you are someone who often misses your meals, set a reminder for yourself.
19. Take your must include multivitamin supplements with your lunch. 
20. Limit your sugar intake and go for more natural sweet options such as fruits.

If You Are A Freelancer And Want To Lose Weight Simultaneously 

A freelancer might end up gaining weight and body fat. If you want to lose weight with your freelancing routine. Follow below:

• Follow all the above tips and wind up practicing good eating habits. 
• Decide your BMR and your calorie administration. Cut down 500 calories from them for losing weight and get fit.
• Eliminate extra sugar from your routine.
• Quit eating all the processed foods and snacks, bad foods, and bakery items.
• Up your water intake up to 8-10 glasses per day.
• Use a multivitamin supplement daily.
• Limit your carbohydrate intake and use complex carbs up to 30-40% of your total macros.
• Only take 1 serving of fruits.
• Take 3 servings of vegetables.
• Limit salt intake.
• Increase the consumption of good fats and proteins.
• Exercise 5-6 times a week and include weight training at least 3 days a week with cardio.
• Drink green tea with lemon and without sugar 3 times a day.
• Chew your food properly.
• Eat-in smaller amounts and frequently boost up your metabolism.
• Set realistic goals don’t leave if you are not getting results. Include any routine for 4-6 weeks for adequate results.
• Make it your lifestyle and stick to it.
• Get my 1200 calories diet plan for weight loss.
• If you have just started exercise get to know the pre-workout meal, intra workout nutrition, and post workout meal so gain the best outputs of your exercises.

In conclusion, Nutrition for a freelancer is an essential aspect in many ways but it’s important for every human being regardless of the profession. Not one plan fits all, to lose weight or gain weight or maintain weight whatever your goal is nutrition is the key. Learn about nutrition and apply what suits your best in your lifestyle. 

In this text, I will be discussing mental health and its effects as far as freelancers are concerned. It is itself a huge heading in which a lot of subheadings can be discussed such as Stress and Depression. But in this article, I will only be covering it concerning freelancers. 

What Is Depression?

Depression is that you are feeling sad and worry over things a lot that means you are stressed out. But if you are engaging in sadness over more periods of time and experience it repeatedly this will be converted into a serious medical illness known as Depression. It will not only affect your mind but your physical health and plenty of your daily goals will be affected. 

How Depression in Freelancers Presents? 

The most common signs and symptoms of depression in freelancers best described by the World Health Organization are:

• Affecting the mind’s performance for example difficulty in concentration, memorization, and getting on to the conclusion.
• Mood related problems: Irritable, excessive sadness.
• Changes in sleep cycle: Sleeping a lot or lacking sleep.
• Changes in diet: Eating a lot or eating less than usual.
• Feeling tired all the time
• Unable to perform daily life activities
• Avoiding gatherings and social interactions.
• Unexplainable pains in different sites of the body.
• Feeling sad, tragic, empty, and vulnerable more often.
• Suicide thoughts.

What Factors Are Involved For Depression In Freelancers?

This is no doubt that freelancing is having a lot of dominance when it comes to traditional jobs but there are also obstacles faced by freelancers which are hard to neglect. One major obstacle is their declining health concerns. Below are 5 most important factors that a freelancer normally face on daily basis and are responsible for depression in freelancers 

1. SEGREGATION

One of the most common problems causing depression in freelancers is segregation. Working online is convenient so most of the people who are working as freelancers try to make the most of their day as possible.

They spend the majority of their time in front of a computer screen, which not only damages eye health but eventually affects mental health causing depression in freelancers. The time you are spending before your electronic screen alone leads you towards Depression.

2. LESS HUMAN CONTACT 

Spending a large amount of time in front of the computer working will not allow you to give time to friends and family. Thus, there will be less human and social contact which is crucial for your mental health lack of which leads to depression.

3. LACK OF JOB STABILITY 

Freelancing is quite different from 9-5 jobs. You will not get any stability in your jobs or your salary. This thing sometimes develops stress and anxiety leading to depression.

4. LARGE APERTURE BETWEEN PROJECTS

I know that in freelancing most of the time you are getting projects to work on, and there is a possibility that you will have long gaps between the projects, you will worry that you are not getting any work and this will push you towards depression.

Especially people who are emerging freelancers they will have a hard time getting their projects and there is a high chance of getting them depressed. 

5. CLIENTS AND PAYMENTS RELATED STRESS 

In freelancing, you have to deal with clients online and there is a lack of a lot of things in between. Some clients give you hard time on a project or releasing your payments on time, and believe me there are many of them like that in the market who are hard to satisfy and in doubt increase stress level in your mind which will in due course lead to the way towards depression.

How Can A Freelancer Prevent Depression? 

• Time management is key. Even if you are working as a full-time freelancer, divide your time and take breaks in between.
• Try to take a break every 50 mins for 10 mins and at this time talk to your family and friends, do some physical household work. 
• Spare 1 day in your week to chill and off from the computer. Go out with your friends and family, enjoy your time.
• Take projects up to your capabilities. Everyone is different some people are quick others take time to complete a task. Analyze yourself and take projects accordingly. Don’t overburden yourself.
• If you are having gaps in getting projects don’t get disheartened. In these times try to learn new skills and focus on your productivity. 
• To avoid issues with clients always deal on third-party platforms, such as Fiverr and Upwork, or make an official and authentic project deal on paper, so that no one can lay their back.
• Practice stress-relieving routing such as yoga and breathing exercises. 
• If you need to talk to someone talk to your friend or family about your situation and if needed get medical help.

The Take-home lesson is that being worry and ends up depressed is not the solution to any problem. Try to be productive and motivated. Stop unbearable circumstances even before they are initiated. Every problem has a solution but you should have the art to find it out. Stop being stressed out as you know that it will eventually end you up with depression. 

It is already hard to cope up your mental health during COVID-19. Freelancing is a beautiful thing but if it making you sick and you can’t control yourself take a break from work for some time and get back later. Please be polite to yourself and go easy on you. Enjoy everything as I always say in moderation. And learn more about depression with the national institute of mental health, 

There is no doubt that technology is growing rapidly, and people are living a life that involves electronic screens and gadgets all around them. The Internet has made life very easy and replaced most of the workforce.

Life is shrinking to be as compact and as easy as possible, so the idea of working online from home that is freelancing is also gaining a lot of importance due to COVID-19. Even if you are not a freelancer in this pandemic of COVID-19, your company might need you to work online from home.

It’s easy than a traditional job to staying home working from a laptop. But good things aside, think that how these electronic screens affect eye health? And what you can do about it? I will discuss this matter in detail and will clear all your queries regarding this issue.

What Are The Effects Of Electronic Screens on Your Eye Health?

There are a lot of obstacles faced by a freelancer and health care for freelancers is one of them. Freelancing not only turns you towards a sluggish lifestyle and stress you out but also affecting your eye health.

Computer vision syndrome or CVS is a collective term for the damage to your eyes given by electronic screens listed below:

1.     EYE EXHAUSTION
2.     DRYNESS, IRRITATION, OR BURNING
3.     LACK OF ATTENTION
4.     SLEEP DIFFICULTIES
5.     LESS MIND PRODUCTIVITY
6.     HEADACHES & EYE STRAINS
7.     VISION RELATED PROBLEMS

How Electronic Screens Affect Eye Health?

• BLUE LIGHT AFFECT

Blue light is one of the wavelengths of light between 400-450 nm. This spectrum of light from electronic screens affects your eyes by increasing eye strains, vision issues, and further damages to different parts of the eyes, especially the retina.

• IMPROPER DISTANCE

If you keep the screen very near to your eyes there are more chances that electronic screens affect your eyes.

• EXISTING VISION PROBLEMS

If you are already having eye issues you will be more prone to develop computer vision syndrome.

• LIGHTENING ISSUES

If you use very little brightness or very high brightness on your electronic screen it will affect your eyes.

• UNCOMFORTABLE SITTING

Improper postures disturbed your eyes and screen coordination. Due to this, your eyes will have a hard time focusing which will eventually affect the eyes.

How To Prevent Electronic Screens Effect on Eye Health?

• Adjust your laptop or computer screens in the correct position concerning your eyes. That is the uppermost part of your screen must be on the eye level.

• The distance of 20-24 inches from the screen.

• Adjust and tilt your screen back and keep at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees. This position will be easy on your eye muscles and also reduce glare.

• It’s advisable to keep the brightness of your electronic screen to it’s lowest to decrease eye strain.

• Make sure no glare is on the screen from your surroundings and if there is one, adjust the screen or the surrounding object who is responsible for that glare.

• Keep your electronic screen clean and dust-free.

• If you have already existing eye dryness and you also working online this can aggravate dryness. For this issue, you can use dry eye prevention drops with the advice of a doctor.

• Learn and practice blinking more often to prevent dry eye and eye strain.

• 20-20-20 rule is a well known and advisable rule for people with eye-related issues or who spent more time in front of screens. That is take a 20-second break, keep the screen feet away and do this every 20 mins.

• Set screen time for yourself and don’t use it unnecessarily.

• Get yourself a pair of glasses specific for the computer vision syndrome and they also help in preventing blue light effects.

• Use an anti-glare or matte protector for your electronic screen to reduce glare.

• You can use a larger font than usual so your eyes easily read the text.

• Go to your doctor for routine eye checkups at least once in 6 months.

• Do the eye’s muscle exercises daily. Learn here.

Now the outcome, eye Health is not only crucial for a Freelancer or someone who is working from home or a freelancer, but for everyone who is using electronic screens in the majority part of their day.

This includes watching Netflix or Youtube. Let’s not forget social media here such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. These steps I mentioned will be applied to anyone regardless of work or entertainment.

There is nothing more dangerous besides the excess of anything who might be an asset of yours provided by technology. But due to that asset don’t ruin one of the biggest gifts given from God as eyes. Use electronic screens in moderation and enjoy the benefit without affecting your eyes’ health. See more about how to look after your eyes.

Anything seems easy doesn’t always is as ideal as you think it is. Freelancing may seem the only solution in this pandemic but, good things also come with a price and so as freelancing. It might be alluring and attractive but it comes with triggers towards many health concerns, and most of the time these are neglected by most. Prevention is Better Than Cure. Learn about them today so you save yourself from big hazards later on.

1. Stationary Lifestyle Leading to Weight Gain

If you are a freelancer whether you want or not you have to spend the majority of your time sitting in front of your computer or laptop screen. This is your priority as it is your work from which you earn money for a living. But, let me tell you if you think so you are wrong. Your number one priority should be and must be your health.

If you are healthy everything will be good to go. Yes as a freelancer you are not mobile enough as a normal office job you have to work while sitting on your laptop. But moving from time to time is as important as your work but why? Why it is so important to keep yourself moving and mobile? 

If you don’t move around from time to time and keep on sitting in the same place it comes with risk factors for several health diseases such as diabetes, weight gain or obesity, high blood pressure, heart issues/heart attacks, clogging of your blood in your veins and many more.

The good news is that all of them are avoidable, with simple tips:

• Take a break often, move around after every 30-60 minutes for 15 minutes.
• Stretch your muscles.
• Include exercise in your daily routine.
• Set reminders every 60 minutes for breaks.

2. Stress Leads to Depression

Does the question arise why stress is on the list? Freelancing is the most ideal and suitable job why people get stressed or even depressed by it? Here’s why. 

Working as a freelancing sort of cut you off from your surrounding. Most of the time you work in isolation and don’t socialize. You are working flexibly and hence this can make you lazy and irresponsible, you might delay your work by hours than days and the deadline comes you start to panic and then stress out over it.

The platform of a freelancer is vast and versatile. You keep chasing money and hence taking more and more projects even more than you can fulfill on time. This all leads to stress and if not getting a concern to Depression.

Prevent Depression by fighting stress today with simple steps. 

• Manage your time and your schedule.
• Don’t overburden yourself 
• Try to socialize from time to time with your family and friends 
• Understand your responsibilities.

3. Vitamin D Deficiencies 

Spending most of your time indoors inside your house leads to vitamin D deficiency. The sun is the biggest source of vitamin D, which is needed for strong bones. If your lack vitamin D your bones will suffer, easy to crack, and early osteoporosis. 

Have some concern about your bone health and go out for walking from time to time. If not that then at least go out and just roam around in the neighborhood, get something from the grocery store. Expose your skin to sunlight so it can absorb Vitamin D from it.

4. Eye health, Headache, Sleep Disturbances Are Big Concerns Of Freelancer’s Health

This no rocket science that looking at an electronic screen of laptop or mobile for the majority of the time in your day can damage your eye health in several ways. 

• Eyesight issues.
• Dry eyes.
• Headaches and eye strains.
• Difficulty in concentration and memorization.
• Double vision.
• Difficulty in sleeping.

What you can do for decreasing this issue?

• Maintaining a recommended distance from an electronic screen
• An anti-glare protector for screen.
• Use eyeglasses for preventing blue ray.
• Don’t look at any screen 1-2 hours before bedtime.
• Keep the screen at your eye level.

5. Poor Nutrition Is A Major Concern Of Freelancer’s Health

When you are working in front of a computer there are two types of people in general one who can’t eat in stressful situations and another who binge eats in stressful situations. If you are either of the two and you are a freelancer, for sure you are having poor nutrition status.

If you are in the first category and forget to eat while working or stressed. Keep a reminder and try to eat every 2-3 hours so you can get the energy that you need. Keep something healthy near you so you can grab and eat it.

If you are in the second category you always binge eat, while working on a computer you eat chips, biscuits, juices, candies, or chocolate. You can’t control your cravings. Replace your junk choices with healthy ones and try to eat wholesome foods and snacks which can help you to remain full for longer.

6. Freelancers Face Back Problems

All the time sitting and sitting on a couch, chair, or bed. No matter how comfortable that leads to bad effects on your back. It is mostly due to a bad sitting posture. The bad posture can not only damage your muscles but can also deform your bones and even have effects on your backbone. Prevent it by:

• Keep your back straight.
• Keep the screen at eye level.
• Take a break every 30-60 minutes for 15 minutes.
• Do stretches for your back.
• Improve your posture and maintain it all the time.

Collectively, we all know that freelancing is the emerging concern of today’s world. Freelancers face a lot of issues. It is very different from a traditional job. It is a business that is growing rapidly with time but let’s not forget our health and if you are just started as a freelancer or you are an established freelancer, watch for your health before it’s too late. Follow the mentioned steps and avoid getting into trouble.

I will try to discuss every topic in detail for you and your better understanding. Will get back to you in my next piece of writing in the series with explaining each of the concern in detail. 

In my first article of this series, I have discussed the ultimate guide to freelancing, how to set up yourself to start working as a freelance. In this article, I will do an easy comparison of employee vs freelance and how traditional jobs are different from freelance and which one is better for you.

Being Employee at Traditional Job 

In this kind of job, you work for a company as an employee.

• Fixed duty timings.
• Fixed salary.
• Start earning from a very start.
• Extra perks besides your salary such as bonuses, health insurance, getting a loan, etc.
• You are just an employee working under an organization.
• You will get promotions.
• Work in a group of people.

Freelance at Home

• Working online as an individual.
• You are the boss.
• You can schedule your work timings.
• Flexible income.
• You can work from anywhere.
• Versatility in work.

Employee vs Freelance

• EARNING IS PREDICTABLE

You start earning from the very first month of your office job as an employee. But, in freelance, you might not earn on your first day or might not starting earning till 2–3 months or even a year.

• A SET ROUTINE

If you are an office going, employee, you mostly go to the office 9–5. You have fix routine and organized a week ahead. In freelance, you lack that routine but can develop one.

• WORKING IN GROUP OF PEOPLE

As an office job employee, you have a team of professionals working on a project so it is done smoothly most of the time. In freelance, you are in charge of everything you might be good at one thing and not the other due to this reason some of the time you struggle and stuck at some point during the project.

• THERE IS A FIXED SALARY

If you an employee at a firm even if you take off can have rest and get paid for it, some days workload is low other days higher but at the end of the month, you get paid a fixed decent monthly salary. In freelance you will get what you have done and till you have done.

• HAVING COLLEAGUES AROUND

In an office setup, employees get to interact with a lot of people daily, laugh, talk, and eat with them. In freelance, you work alone and you are lonely, which can be exhausting.

Freelance vs Employee

• FLEXIBLE LIFESTYLE

In freelance, you have flexible timing or routine. if you are not feeling like to work in the morning, you can work at night or day or evening, take as many off as you want. You can eat or text during your work and no one will bother you for that. Dress like whatever you want and do your job on your bed lying in the most comfortable clothes of your choice.

As an employee, there are fix duty hours, specific dress codes, rules, and regulations to follow and it’s not at all flexible.

• CAN EARN MORE IN LESS TIME

Yes, you heard it right. From freelance, even you can earn in a day more than an employee’s monthly salary. The more you work you get the more you get paid, the more good quality work you provide the higher will be your rates.

Employees get a fixed salary for days you do hectic work and for days you do light work.

• YOU ARE THE INCHARGE

You are your own boss. No one can order you or scold you for anything. But in an office setup, most of the time Employees are advised to do the work as the organization demands.

• WORKING ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE 

The great thing about freelance is you can work from anywhere and everywhere. You can make your own setup in your home if you want for work it can be as cozy or professional as you like. You can even work from a park, a restaurant, family or friend’s house, airport or even in a car.

The in-office job employee will daily go to the same place the same chair, the same table, same environment, and they can’t change it even if they want.

• GOOD NEWS FOR INTROVERTS

If you are an introvert you don’t like hanging out or interacting with people is not really your thing, freelancing is for you. You can work alone in peace.

In a company based job, you have to work in a group of people in a team, while interacting.

• NO BOREDOM 

Office employees sometimes get bored doing the same tasks daily over and over again. But if you are doing freelance, you can change the type of work you want you can have a variety of work to do, which will keep building your interest and you don’t get bored.

In Conclusion, I am not and can’t declare anyone employee vs freelance as a winner here. Both of them have their own for and against. Every individual is different from others. You have to predict what is better for you and your lifestyle. If freelance is for you to go ahead if not stick to being an employee.

But, remember if you are confused about employee vs freelance or want to switch towards freelance completely. I recommend to don’t leave your traditional job all of a sudden, start freelance as a side business and once you get successful you can join it as a full-time.

Stress is a reversible phenomenon and it does not persist mostly. When the triggers stop you come out of stress and feel normal. It can lead to Depression if continues.

What Are Triggering Factors?

Stress triggers include minor and major circumstances you face in your daily routine. Include meeting the deadlines, going through financial strains, loss of a job, illness of a loved one, overburden with responsibilities, watching sad news on television, unhealthy relationships. Environmental triggers, such as loud music or noises, are stuck in traffic, extreme weather, etc.

Does Stress Impact Your Body?

When you experience stress, your mind starts to cope with it. The hormones and feedback mechanisms, that leads to physical and mental responses towards it. You will have high blood pressure and heart rate, sweating, heaviness, difficulty in breathing, weakness, sleep disturbances. In short, all your body’s normal functions compromise.

Stress leads to mood changes, anger, sadness, need for isolation, difficulty in concentrating, weakness, eating and sleeping disturbances, teeth grinding, nail-biting.

How To Cope-Up With Stress?

Stress is a normal response of the mind, so nobody can eradicate it out of their life, problems occur when it gets out of your hands or started impacting your life. By following ways, you can prevent harmful effects on personal and social life and prevent major depression, anxiety, or any other mood disorders.

Regardless of the cause, there are some simple tips and lifestyle changes anyone facing stress can adopt, it will not only help in managing stress but also improve the overall physical and mental wellbeing of a person.

1. ANALYZE YOUR TRIGGERS

A trigger for stress may be single or a combination of many, identify them, and analyze them, some of them can be avoidable and manageable, some may be out of your hands. Reasons can be either personal, professional, social, or environmental. By thinking over them will give you a better understanding of them, about your mindset, and ways you can handle them efficiently.

You can also maintain a journal, write down all your thoughts, the things that are responsible for your burnout, and how in your opinion you can avoid them, write down your daily routine and in this way you can better analyze and manage things.

2. TRY TO AVOID STRESSORS AND PLAN AHEAD

Avoid unnecessary stress like getting into a fight, try to take a route having less traffic, avoid loud noises, don’t watch sad movies or television shows or news, get yourself out of a toxic relationship. I know it is easier said than done, but with time try to avoid little by little and then make it a habit, replace things that aggravate stress with things you enjoy, or make you happy.

Many stressors in your life are due to poor management skills, you don’t plan, try to plan your day, set realistic goals, and make them work out, for example: work in advance to meet the deadline and not only a few hours before.

3. REACH OUT TO A FRIEND AND FAMILY

Talking is always helpful, and isolation is not a solution, avoid excessive thinking over it, again and again, is not the solution to any problem. If you are in stress, talk to your friend or family, explain to them what you are going through and ask for help, let them listen to you, and take some solution out of it. You will feel supported and motivated by a loved one by your side.

4. EAT HEALTHY

A healthy mind needs a healthy body, some nutritional choices such as excessive coffee, tea, alcohol leads to an increase in stress rather than decreasing it, QUIT alcohol, drugs, and smoking completely out of your life they don’t have any positive health effects in any way. LIMIT your coffee, tea, or any caffeine-containing drinks.

Eat wholesome foods. Eat a recommended healthy diet, and avoid processed foods. This will keep your energy levels up to the mark. It will not only helps in stress-relieving but having a significant decrease in weight. Also, include micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in your diet which help to cleanse your mind and body making your immune system stronger.

5. INVOLVE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

No lifestyle modifications are complete without involving exercise in your routine. Involving in a physical activity is not always meant to get a gym membership and planned workout sessions. Anything which allows you to get up and use your muscles falls in this category.

Physical activities like walking, swimming, running, dancing, cycling, and workout in the gym are helping when it comes to relieving stress.

Try to involve in the basics first. Keep moving on feet often instead of sitting. Use the stairs. Go for a walk to nearby places rather than a car. Engage yourself in household work. Gradually increase these up to a proper walk, jog, or workout to at least 30 minutes 4–5 days a week. Exercise stabilizes your body and mind, releasing happy hormones that automatically decrease stress.

6. RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

If you are in stress you need to calm down, there is much evidence that relaxation techniques work best when it comes to stress management, and not only are they important for overall mental well-being, they improve focus, concentration, and memory. These techniques involve yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and engaging in your prayers.

7. SLEEP WELL

Stress disturbs sleep, but good night’s sleep is crucial when it comes to its management. In the night when you sleep your body heals itself from all the physical and mental stresses. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is at its peak after sunset.

If we don’t sleep at night this will impact your body and mind negatively rather than positively. It can affect your concentration, decision making, and memory. Try to get your beauty sleep every night for at least 6 hours.

In conclusion, there are many reasons in your life to get stressed, some are avoidable, others don’t, what you can do rather than just sit down and keep on thinking over it is to change your routine and lifestyle. Try to avoid unnecessary stress, and focus on solving the important ones. All problems have solutions, analyze, think and try to solve it, and whenever needed get help. It’s better to be productive than to be stressed.

Humankind is getting dependent on electronic screens more than physical work. These screens and the internet have already replaced most of our life values. Now in today’s era, we don’t need to go out for meeting people, purchasing goods, give a gift to someone, paying bills, etc. All of our principal activities now only a click away.

These screens are not only affecting eye health but comes with a significant health issue which is a sedentary or sluggish lifestyle. As per the World Health Organization  (WHO), 60 to 85% of people in the world lead sedentary lifestyles. In today’s world overall our lives have become desk-bound but if you are doing freelancing then this ratio doubles. 

If you are a freelancer you must have faced many issues but your health is one of the most important. You have to spend most of the time sitting and working in front of your electronic screen. But do you have any idea that there is a directly proportional relation between freelancing and a sluggish lifestyle?

What Does Sluggish Lifestyle Mean?

I have already discussed freelancing in detail and you all know that it is a business that is done online on your laptop from home. A sedentary or sluggish lifestyle is in easy words called an inactive lifestyle. This is also a factor where traditional jobs and freelancing differs. In a job you need to go out by traveling physically and get the job done and in freelancing you just need to sit down and open your laptop to get the job done. 

When you are doing freelancing you spend most of your day sitting and inactive. Sedentary Behavior Research Network suggests that sluggish behavior as “any behavior includes energy spending less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents.” 

Freelancing And Sluggish Lifestyle Are Directly Proportional 

Not only freelancing but many factors are contributing to sedentary lifestyle-related health hazards in today’s world. But today I will discuss only why a sluggish lifestyle is gaining importance in light of freelancing. The more time you spent on your work online, the more chances you move towards laziness because you will have less physical activity. 

What Are The Hazards Of A Sluggish Lifestyle In Freelancers

Freelancing and sluggish lifestyle come with a lot of health hazards. As you might have heard the famous quote “There is a blessing in being active”. According to the World Health Organization and John Hopkins Medical Center, a sedentary lifestyle leads to many health hazards and early and increases the chances of morbidity and mortality.

Below I will discuss the most important and top 10 hazards:

1. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure roughly tends to be above 140/90 due to recent recommendations. Studies show that if you are inactive for more than recommended, every passing hour will increase your risk of hypertension up to 2%.

2. UNCONTROLLED BLOOD SUGAR

When you are less active and your metabolism is slow you will get your insulin spike more often and thus the risk of high blood sugar increases.

3. POOR METABOLISM

Poor physical activity leads to poor metabolism that further leads to weight gain and obesity.

4. HEART PROBLEMS

High blood pressure, high blood sugar, and obesity all lead to a high risk of heart-related problems. The lazier you get the lazier your heart will be.

5. INCREASING CHOLESTEROL 

If you burn fewer calories throughout the day the accumulation of cholesterol in your bloodstream will increase especially the bad cholesterol known as LDL.

6. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

Studies show that staying active decreases your depression and anxiety so in other words if you are having a sluggish lifestyle this will leads to increase stress or depression and anxiety.

7. POOR BLOOD CIRCULATION

If you don’t move a lot your blood circulation in your veins will be poor may lead to deep venous thrombosis, which is a deadly phenomenon. 

8. LOW BONE HEALTH

If you don’t move and stay active your bone’s health will become compromised leading to early Osteoporosis.

9. LACK OF OXYGEN TO BRAIN

Not only does your inactive lifestyle affect your bones and muscles but your vital organs such as the brain. Your blood circulation to the brain is compromised and this can leads to stroke.

10. LESS FLEXIBILITY

You are mostly sitting and this seizing your muscle’s flexibility, in a long run it will be difficult to do something out of your comfort zone.

Tips To Manage Freelancing And Sluggish Lifestyle

Freelancing comes with a lot of ease but at a cost of a sedentary lifestyle, and many other health hazards.

You have learned that prolong periods of inactivity tend to reduce your metabolism and thus the body is unable to regulate normal blood pressure, blood sugars, and nutrients such as fats. What is the solution to these? Let’s discuss some of them below:

1. WORK ON YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Take breaks every 60 minutes for 15 minutes.
• During your break roam around in the premises and keep moving.
• Freelancing can be done from anywhere, so go to a park by walk or on a roof through stairs to do your work from there.
• Involve in physical activities such as swimming or some sport.  
• Whenever you need something get up and get it yourself instead of asking other people in your house.
• Do cardiovascular or strength training whatever suits you but for sure get something to get you going.
• Learn the guide on what is resistance training.

2. GET YOURSELF A FITNESS TRACKER

• Set a daily goal for yourself on a fitness tracker for example 10,000 steps daily and try to achieve it.
• Your fitness tracker will remind you of inactivity every 1 hour.

3. INCLUDE EXERCISE IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

• If you don’t get time in the day or at night do exercise as first thing in the morning. 
• Daily of 30 minutes of physical activity is recommended by the world health organization.

4. KEEP YOUR HYDRATION HIGH

• Water helps in boosting metabolism, regulates blood pressure, sugar, and fats in the body.
• Stay hydrated and drink 10-12 glasses of water per day.

5. GET ENOUGH SLEEP

• If you don’t sleep enough all of the consequences of the above hazards will be doubled. 
• Get 6-8 hours of sleep per day.

6. STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE

• Make a schedule for yourself. 
• Set timings of when you need to work and when to take breaks.
• Get more productive so that you cover more work in less time. 

Lastly, Don’t overwork yourself. Freelancing came with many delicious perks. But no one can acquire everything in life. Try to do things in moderation and take care of your health without overburdening yourself.