Self-Care for Freelancers (Or Basically Anyone)

I missed yesterday’s blog upload (again!) because I took a much-needed self-care day, so naturally it would only make sense to write a blog about self-care. Or at least, my version of it. As a full-time freelancer who works remotely, it is ridiculously easy to get burned out and fed up with. . . everything, really. Anyway, this was the state I was in yesterday (and continuing through today), so I’ll share what my self-care days typically look like and offer up some juicy recommendations for treating yourself to a well-deserved mental break. And believe me: you deserve it.

Shut Up

You heard me! Sometimes the best way to chill out is to just be quiet. I often find myself overwhelmed by all the “noise” (both visual and auditory) around me; everything demands my attention All The Time, from phone notifications to advertisements to texts/calls/emails to commercials to barking dogs, etc. It’s exhausting! I know this sounds bizarre, but I frequently drive in silence just to give my brain a rest from all the noise bombarding every second of my life. Try it—it feels good! Try taking a day, or even just an hour, away from music, television, and podcasts, silence your phone, and just enjoy some quiet time. As writers and editors, our brains are always going nonstop, so sometimes it’s nice to just disconnect from everything and exist quietly. It’ll probably boost your creativity, too, because without all the noise, your mind has room to think freely and clearly. Plus, it’s just plain old relaxing.

Nourish

Yes, I know I am offering absolutely nothing novel or groundbreaking here, but seriously, do not underestimate the importance of eating. There’s a really good chance that if you feel like crap, it’s because you’ve been eating crap, or not at all. Now, I am not telling you to go on a health binge on your mental day off because that’s stupid and unrealistic, but if you’re like me and frequently skip a meal or two because of laziness or busyness, then at least eat something. Grab a box of Fruity Pebbles if you must, just be sure not to eat exclusively junk because you will feel terrible later on. Indulge, but mindfully.

Let’s Get Spiritual

I don’t know about you, but I definitely sang that in my head to the tune of Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical.” Now, don’t freak out, I’m not about to start preaching at you. My advice here is simple: Get back to basics. Return to your foundation. It doesn’t matter if you’re spiritual, religious, or nothing at all; just make an effort to return to whatever grounds you or makes you feel connected to whatever it is you believe in or care about, whether that be praying, studying, meditating, crystal gridding, tarot reading, walking in nature, calling a friend, or even pampering yourself. Guided and silent meditations are my jam (my favorite meditation channel is The Honest Guys), but find what comforts your soul and spend a little time practicing it. I also just discovered Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations podcast and will be adding it to my playlist (the episode with Paulo Coelho is magnificent!).

Get in the Flow

For many of us, times of crisis and difficulty provide creative inspiration. I know I can rarely write when I’m in a good place, but as soon as things come crashing down around me, the words start flowing. Even if you don’t derive inspiration from struggling and instead feel blocked or unmotivated, try doing something creative anyway, but with no expectations for yourself. That means that if you’re a writer, please don’t try to write something work-related on your self-care day!! I find that creating something physical with my hands helps calm my mind, relaxes me, and brightens my mood. Some activities I enjoy doing just for fun include coloring, baking, and sewing (I have an on-again/off-again project making a set of Noah’s Ark plush toys that my grandma never finished). Paint! Sculpt! REORGANIZE YOUR ROOM! (We all know that cleaning and reorganizing your room is the key indicator that a major shift is coming.)

Sweatpants and Chill

If, however, you are the type of person who is always doing something with their hands and just wants to veg out, or if you are tired of being busy and want to disconnect from all responsibilities and expectations and indulge in all of your guilty pleasures wholeheartedly, then, yeah, do that. No shower necessary here; just make yourself a mug brownie, pop some “Great British Baking Show” or “You” on the TV, and bask in the laziness. Sound depressing? Who cares! Live your life! Plus, chances are that if you’re burned out, then you’ve probably been working really hard and deserve a full-fledged break from personhood. I repeat: You Deserve It! Treat yo’self, fam.

Bonus Tip: (Re)Read The Alchemist

There are three hallmarks that indicate to the world that I am experiencing A Crisis™ (this happens about once a year): 1) I start meditating again; 2) I start practicing yoga again; and 3) I reread Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist for the bajillionth time. (Interesting pattern here: Life got harder after I stopped doing those things that made me feel good. . . Some food for thought.) If you have never read The Alchemist, please go right now and read this novel. If you don’t like reading or don’t have the time (I see and feel you, fellow writers and editors), then please go right now and listen to the audiobook of this novel. If you have already read this novel, then you already know what I am talking about and should definitely reread this novel if you are in need of some self-care. I don’t care if you remember the story, just go reread it anyway. And then go listen to the aforementioned episode of Oprah’s podcast because it’s really good. And no, I will not shut up about The Alchemist. If you’re in desperate need of some self-care, this book is an absolute essential. And it’s really short; you can read it in a day. No excuses.

 

Life is hard, folks, especially for us freelancers and remote workers. It’s easy to get bogged down and lose our cool when we get cabin fever from working where we sleep, when queries go unanswered, and when our clients don’t pay us on time (I’m looking at you, Publisher-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named), so we have to make sure to look out for and take care of ourselves. If you are smart and learn from other people’s lessons (ahem), you might schedule dedicated self-care days instead of letting yourself slide into crisis mode first. But some of us never learn, I guess. Take care, everyone.♥