Being a freelancer has many benefits, just as many downsides and one of those is how blurry lines are between your personal life and your work. This ability to work from anywhere, at any time, makes it easier to have an unstructured work routine, therefore, working harder than smarter and ending up exhausted every week.
Burn-out is the state of mind in which you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. It is caused by being exposed to long, several periods of extreme stress, and this is why freelancers are so vulnerable to it. This state has many negative effects that can harm your health in the short or long term, going from illnesses such as flu to depression.
It’s important to be aware of how to battle burnout by taking time outs and detoxicating emotionally, and that’s why we did this research and based an article on Psych2Go’s video: 7 Ways to Detox Your Emotional Well-Being. Keep reading to see what this is all about!
Give Your Room a Make-Over
Besides your workspace being an organized, healthy place, your room should be your place to unwind and rest, so making it a relaxing, safe place can be extremely important. Research shows throwing away old items, and clutter, or adding objects such as collectibles or decorations to your office can ease tension and boost your creativity. Renovated, aesthetically pleasing places have a relaxing effect on your mood.
Origami figures, decorations, and plants help reduce fatigue, stress, and anxiety. And, if you like silence and quiet places, plants are ideal for you as they absorb noise and help balance energy and noise pollution. On the other hand, if your room is already perfect for you to relax, you can also make your workspace a healthier place for your mental well-being. Learn how to do it by clicking here!
Drink Lots of Water
Dehydration has a strong effect on your state of mind, such as degraded mood, increased perception of task difficulty, lower concentration, and headache symptoms. Even if this may sound weird to you, drinking water is going to help you feel better, physically and mentally. You just need to build the habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day, and how you do it is completely up to you.
You can find a funny or cute glass to motivate you to use it and carry it around, or if you find the taste of water too simple or boring, you can try drinking flavored water or tee instead. Drinking tea has a great bonus, which is, how relaxing it can be. Nothing is better than a warm cup of green tea after a tough day at work.
Surround Yourself With Nature
Go outside. Going for a walk or simply looking up at the sky to see the rainy clouds, the sunshine, or the stars can help you relax. Taking time for yourself is always good to boost your creativity and help you come up with original ideas rather than stressing yourself out.
Research shows we are genetically programmed to find nature, such as trees, plants, water, and other similar elements engrossing, so we are absorbed by nature scenes and distracted from our pain, stress, and discomfort. This is a beautiful demonstration of how coming to our very center is always healing. Nature is designed to satisfy itself, to protect itself, to keep itself alive, and we are a part of nature, not apart from it.
Go Creative
Let your artistic vein have its moment. You don’t need to be an art expert to let your creativity flow. Get a notebook where you can draw, write notes, poems, or songs; choose what suits you better, just let your train of thoughts go real, and come into this space so you can see them and have a clearer view of what your inner self feels like.
You can even use this notebook as a place to plan or structure your ideas, as being able to actually look at the things you need to do along with your thoughts about it, makes it easier to understand them and figure out how to carry them.
Help Someone Out
One of the human’s basic psychological needs is feeling related to others, and being pro-social, and that’s why even introverts like myself have significant others to rely on.
Research has shown many times how doing good, in ways big or small, not only feels good but also does us good. For example, volunteering to help others has depression-lowering benefits, and it’s a mental health boost to fight distress and emotional burn-out.
Helping people can have a nice, soothing effect on your mood, making you feel like you did something good with your strengths and knowledge to benefit someone else selflessly. If your actions are good, to others, and to yourself, you’ll soon start feeling better.
These were some recommendations on how to ease your mind, take a rest from the absorbing work life, and deal with the personal issues that might be making it harder for you to feel tranquility. Coming back to your center, giving help to others, and surrounding yourself with healthy stimuli will help you maintain that productivity and emotional well-being just where they should be.
Make sure to give these tips a try, and follow us on Instagram to catch more tips to take care of freelancers’ mental health!
