Burnout is every freelancer’s enemy. If you’re too stressed and exhausted to create, then your source of income disappears. In a cost of living crisis, we all want to steer clear of this. But how can you avoid burnout as a freelancer?
Know when to say ‘no’
The creative market is incredibly competitive so it can be tempting to say ‘yes’ to every job. Even the ones where your gut is telling you ‘no’. What happens when you don’t trust your gut? You end up doing a job you know you’re not the right person for and motivation hits an all-time low. And when motivation is absent, there’s no way you can create your best work.
How do you know when to say ‘no’? Maybe the budget doesn’t cover the tasks the brand wants in return. Or you have a skill set that is different from the one required. As mentioned, it could even boil down to trusting a gut feeling.
Set clear boundaries
It’s essential to set clear boundaries with clients. This can help avoid miscommunication and burnout from trying to please people. You should manage expectations from the beginning of your relationship with any new client. You can do this by including your working hours, holiday policy and urgent requests process in your onboarding document.
Of course, you should be receptive to your client’s needs. But when this means you’re editing a post at 11 pm because the client requested last-minute changes, something has gone wrong. It’s best to have a process where your client can request any changes in plenty of time to reduce pressure for both parties. If you let your clients consistently cross your boundaries, your calendar will quickly descend into chaos. A chaotic environment sounds like a surefire way to secure nothing but burnout.
Practise your hobbies
If you’re a freelancer, you know our schedules can be extremely busy. If you’re a social media manager like me, you wear many hats at work and have multiple projects running at any one time. It can even be easy to neglect your hobbies in favour of accepting more work. However, this is going to lead to burnout in the long run.
Harvard University (2024) found people with hobbies ‘reported better health, more happiness, fewer symptoms of depression, and higher life satisfaction’. Having hobbies feels especially important for freelancers who work alone from home. If there’s one thing the lockdowns taught us, it’s that humans are social creatures and need interaction.
You don’t necessarily need to practise a social hobby though. Even spending a couple of hours playing Stardew Valley or taking a long walk can be beneficial. Give something fun a go to avoid burnout.
Take regular breaks
This might seem obvious but it’s a) one of the most important steps and b) one that’s most often skipped. We’ve all been there – whether it’s a working lunch or skipping break ‘just to finish this last thing’. But if you do this consistently over time, you become exhausted and burnout.
To avoid burnout as a freelancer, you should take regular breaks. Get away from your desk and stretch if you’re able. Make yourself a drink. Just make sure whatever you decide to do doesn’t involve a screen. It’s fundamental for your breaks to be restful and being glued to your emails does not a restful break make (wise words from Gandalf himself? Or simply Verbawise expertise?)
Have clear working hours
This relates to the point about setting clear boundaries and taking regular breaks. It’s important to choose your working hours and try to stick to them as much as possible. Most of the businesses you work with will likely work 9-5 so it doesn’t make sense to do tonnes of work outside these hours (unless you’re a total night owl and work best at 3 am).
Being a freelancer or small business owner is time-consuming and there will inevitably be weeks where you need to do more work. However, to avoid burnout, you should stick to regular hours as much as possible.
Make time for you
As well as having hobbies, you should make time for yourself. Whether it’s a hot, bubbly bath, a massage or an evening watching TV, it’s essential to relax. By having scheduled relaxing time, you’re prioritising both your mental and physical health.
We all like to think we’re invincible but this step becomes especially pertinent after a long, stressful day. If we skip it, we run the risk of health deterioration, increased stress symptoms and burnout.
In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula to avoid burnout as a freelancer. It’s about finding the balance that works for you. If these tips don’t always prevent burnout, remember: you’re not a failure. Especially for those of us who are neurodivergent, sometimes burnout is unavoidable and that’s okay. We work to live, not the other way around. If you have additional tips, especially from a neurodivergent perspective, drop them in the comments – let’s help each other out!
