Creative Canvas Volume 1 Feb. 2014 | Page 18

5 Tips for Freelancing

Wonder how to be stress-free

1. Make time for adventures

Even if you’re doing work that you enjoy, you’ve got to make time for doing crazy stuff. If you don’t try things outside of your comfort zone, your skills can stagnate. You never know when your side gig could influence your “main” gig – even if it’s just by expanding your horizons or making you a happier person. All work and no fun is not good for your health and social life. So, remember always try to do something fun to even out your work schedule.

2. If you can swing it, try to outsource the things you don't enjoy.

As a freelancer, you’ve already gotten rid of annoying things like staff meetings and bosses. But there’s a lot of paperwork, taxes, accounting difficulties, marketing, and a thousand other things that aren’t as enchanting as the actual work. Try TaskRabbit for tasks that a personal assistant can take care of (without hiring a part-time personal assistant), or use apps like Xero or FreeAgent for virtual work. You’ll never have to do your own accounts again.

3. Beat the isolation of freelancing by volunteering

Freelancing can be a bit lonely. Even if you’re working as a full-time freelancer at a company, people might act like you’re “different” and not part of their community. If you work at home, it can be an effort to make sure your dog/fish/plant isn’t the only person you talk to today. Volunteering in your community can get you out of your house, makes your community a better place, and lets you meet new people and learn new things. Also, it can help you meet potential clients.