Health is wealth. You can make a lot of money, but if you are unhealthy, you won’t be able to enjoy it. You won’t be able to do the things you want to do. If you are sick, you won’t be productive in your work. You will lose clients, or they will get tired of your sickness and find someone else to replace you.
You need to care about your health and be mindful of what your body needs. Even if you are busy with work, there are ways to stay fit and healthy.
| Takeaway |
|---|
| Prioritize your time management to balance work and health effectively. |
| Understand and address the potential health risks associated with freelancing. |
| Mental health is crucial; adopt strategies to maintain well-being in a freelance environment. |
| Maintain a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and regular exercise. |
| Seek professional help and support when dealing with stress or health issues. |
Here Are Reasons Why Freelancers Should Care About Their Health
1. When You’re Healthy, You Work Faster
This should go without saying but…I’ll say it anyway! When you’re sick or unhealthy, it takes longer to complete tasks because of lower energy levels and productivity. Your energy is focused on healing yourself rather than working on the task at hand.
But when you feel good and are eating right, your energy levels are up and your productivity is soaring! Tasks get completed quickly because they don’t require as much focus or attention to detail.
Time management is crucial for freelancers to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Learn how to optimize your schedule with our comprehensive guide on Time Management Tips for Freelancers.
2. Concentration Levels Improve
Studies show that eating healthy food improves your concentration, which means that you will be able to complete tasks faster and more efficiently. Plus, the boost in energy levels enables you to work longer hours without feeling drained or unmotivated.
Try eating meals and snacks with high energy levels like a bowl of oatmeal, half a banana or some berries – all of which will keep you energized for longer.
3. Energetic Body Enhance Creativity
Concentration is crucial but so is creativity. You need to be both productive and creative in order to provide a high quality service for your clients, but this can be difficult when working independently from home – especially if you haven’t been sleeping well and have had too much caffeine.
4. When You’re Healthy, Your Brain Works Better
Why? Because when you’re healthy, your brain works better. Your brain is the most important part of your body because it controls everything else. A healthy brain means that you make better decisions and get more things done. Being healthy also makes you happier, which is important for freelancers because happiness helps you connect with people and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
5. Avoiding Sick Days Keeps You On Schedule
If you’re working with a client, they want to know they can rely on you. If your work schedule is set, and they know it, they’ll be happier. Sick days are the worst because, not only do you feel awful all day, but you’ve got to do the work anyway or miss a deadline and look unreliable.
But if you stay healthy, that means no unexpected sick days and no scrambling to keep up with the work you missed while you were sick.
Worried about the consequences of violating platform policies? Discover why you shouldn’t be afraid of Upwork’s permanent ban and how to stay on the right track as a freelancer.
6. You Have Bills To Pay
If you were to become seriously ill or injured, how would that affect your ability to make a living? Would someone else be able to step in and take over for a while? Do you have disability insurance? How long could you wait before seeking medical treatment because of financial concerns?
You might have kids who need their mom or dad around for as long as possible. Or maybe your parents aren’t doing so well and you’re their caregiver. But even if you don’t have kids or elderly parents, there are probably people in your life who need you — friends, siblings, a spouse or significant other, pets.
Don’t let health insurance expenses drain your earnings! Check out our tips on how to save money on health insurance while freelancing and stay financially secure.
7. You Can Become More Organized At Work
Your health state can also have an impact on your organizational skill. If you are not feeling well, it is hard to focus and complete your task efficiently. Moreover, you might find yourself spending more time cleaning your desk and organizing your stuff than working.
On the other hand, if you are healthy, you can complete more work in less time and make sure that everything is in its right place. This will make it easier for you to find anything you need when a new task comes up or when it is time for a break.
8. You Can Reduce Stress Levels
Stress feels like a lot of things, but it’s actually just a bunch of chemical reactions happening in your body. When you’re stressed out, your body releases hormones that cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels.
If you don’t treat stress with rest and relaxation, these hormone levels can stay elevated for long periods of time and eventually lead to serious illness—like heart disease or even death.
So what’s the answer?
Sometimes it’s as simple as a little bit of exercise or taking some time to meditate. Think about what relaxes you and makes you feel better—whether it’s yoga or going on a long walk or listening to music—and be sure to make time for those things.
This doesn’t mean you need to take two hours out of every day to go on a run! It might just mean making sure you take your lunch break every day so that your brain has a chance to recharge—and then maybe working out for half an hour three times per week after work.
9. You’ll Make Better Decisions
When you’re healthy, you simply have more energy. This can make your work life easier and even help you get more out of your freelance career. But what about the freelancers who are struggling to stay healthy? They often feel tired and stressed, which can make it difficult to keep up with deadlines and complete projects on time.
It’s important for anyone looking to become a freelancer to understand that their health is just as important as their finances when it comes to making business decisions and staying productive.
10. It’s Cheaper To Prevent Diseases Than Cure Them
If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for your wallet. Taking care of your health—nourishing yourself with healthy foods, moving your body regularly, and getting enough sleep—is the best way to keep from developing a disease or chronic condition that might otherwise develop if you neglect your body.
Think of it this way: Is a $5 salad really more expensive than weekly trips to the doctor and/or a prescription?
As a freelancer, your health is a top priority. Explore effective ways to monetize your freelance writing business to ensure financial stability without compromising your well-being.
11. You Have No Co-Workers To Take Up The Slack From Your Absence
When you get sick, you don’t have anyone else to pick up your slack. When you’re on a deadline and you’re also fighting a cold, you either get your work done or you don’t.
Whether or not you make that deadline can affect your income. If you’re so sick that you can’t work, you can’t make money. There’s no paycheck waiting for you in two weeks if you’re out with the flu.
In addition to the obvious benefit of feeling better when you take care of yourself, there are other positive things about staying healthy as a freelancer: reliable income and happy clients.
It’s no secret that time management is a key skill for freelancers. Take your productivity to the next level with our guide on 18 advanced time management tips for freelancers, designed to boost your efficiency and success in the freelance world.
Takeaway
Some freelancers may not be aware of the benefits of taking care of their health and how a healthy lifestyle can reduce your expenses overall month to month. Healthier living isn’t just about saving money: it might improve your self-esteem, and keep you in a better mood.
Freelancers are usually under a lot of stress; feeling stressed can contribute to poor eating, which in turn can lead to you missing deadlines and having other missed assignments/deadlines. Taking better care of your health isn’t going to happen overnight, but with the tips above, you should be able to get on the right track fairly quickly.
Further Reading
Being a Freelancer May Be Hazardous to Your Health: Discover the potential health risks associated with freelancing and learn how to prioritize your well-being.
How to Look After Your Mental Health as a Freelancer: Learn practical tips and strategies to maintain good mental health while navigating the challenges of freelancing.
Benefits of Freelancing: Explore the advantages of freelancing and how it can positively impact your professional and personal life.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Take Time Off Without Losing Money?
There are two things you can do to make sure you’re prepared when you want to take a break from work. First, set up an emergency fund—a savings account where you put away money each month that can cover your expenses if something goes wrong. And second, make sure you’re charging enough for your services so that you have money left over to save each month!
Are Freelancers More Likely To Get Sick?
Freelancing is a pretty sedentary job and most freelancers tend to be sitting at their desks or working on their computers for hours a day. Sitting in one position for extended periods of time can lead to muscle pain, backache, and even depression. We have also seen that freelancers are more prone to diabetes, insomnia, and other health problems due to the level of stress that is involved in freelancing.
The best way to avoid getting sick from freelancer life is to try and focus on your health as much as possible. Make sure you exercise regularly, eat healthy food and get enough sleep every night.
How Can I Get Organized To Take Care Of My Health?
When you’re responsible for everything in your business, you have to make sure you’re prioritizing what matters most. When it comes to health, that means making sure you’re eating right, exercising, spending time with friends and family, and getting enough sleep. Without good self-care habits, the quality of your work will suffer—and so will your feelings of well-being.
To keep yourself on track with self-care, write down at least one actionable item in each area every day. You can find lots of apps that can help with this task; Bunkion uses Habitshare to track when we take breaks and exercise, which encourages us to stay active while working hard. Doing this simple exercise every day will help keep you healthy and focused on what matters most.
How Can I Keep My Motivation Up?
When you’re a freelancer, you have to be your own motivator. If you’re feeling unmotivated, step away from your work and do something else for a while. Find something that gets you excited and refocuses your energy. Maybe it’s going to the gym or cooking a new recipe. Or maybe it’s calling a friend to talk about anything but work. Whatever it is, find what works for you, so that when motivation starts to wane, you know just what to do.
What Are Some Of The Most Important Nutrients For Freelancers?
The most important nutrients for people who work from home are protein, lots of water, and carbs. If you’re a freelance writer, you’ll also want to make sure you’re getting your vitamin A (for eye health) and vitamin C (for writing stamina).
What Are Some Things I Can Do To Take Care Of My Body?
Some good things to try are making sure you get enough sleep (at least 8 hours), exercising regularly (maybe yoga?), eating a balanced diet, and drinking lots of water. Taking regular breaks from work and getting some fresh air is also super important!
What About My Mental Health?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out when you’re working for yourself, but there are lots of ways to manage it! Those breaks we talked about earlier? They’re great for your mental health too. Another thing you can do is keep a journal or practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing exercises.
What Is One Way That Freelancers Can Maintain Their Health?
One simple way to maintain your health is to stay active and eat well. Freelancers often work from home, which can lead to long days sitting at a desk. To combat this issue, try setting an alarm or reminder on your phone every couple of hours that reminds you to get up and walk around for a few minutes. Similarly, it can be hard for freelancers to remember to eat healthy meals when there are no coworkers stopping by your desk with reminders, so setting alarm reminders for meal times can help with that as well.
Are There Any Other Health Concerns Specific To Freelancers?
One big concern with freelancing is stress and burnout: since you are responsible for all aspects of your work life, it can feel overwhelming
Why Is My Mental Health So Tied To My Productivity?
When you’re happy, you work harder and better. And when you work hard and better, you make more money. So maintaining good mental health and working on how you feel on a daily basis is going to help your career as a freelancer.
How Do I Stay Physically Healthy When I Have An Unpredictable Schedule?
Make fitness part of your schedule by committing to it every day at the same time. That way it’s already built into your calendar and can’t be moved around or forgotten about. Another way to think about this is by making fitness more like something you do with friends than something you do alone—it’ll be harder to cancel if there are other people involved!
What Are Some Good Habits To Adopt?
It’s important to maintain consistency in your daily routine. For example, eating at around the same time each day will keep your energy levels stable throughout the day. The key to building healthy habits is to start small and work up from there!
How Can I Find Time To Work Out?
Don’t have time to go to the gym? You don’t need to! All it takes is 15-30 minutes of physical activity every day or two days to reap the benefits of exercise. And there are lots of ways to get that exercise in without leaving your house: try going for a walk around the block during lunch, or try doing jumping jacks during commercial breaks on TV. You can even take a break from writing and do lunges and squats while you read over what you’ve written so far—that will help keep your mind sharp as well!
Does Being Healthy Really Make A Difference?
Definitely! When you feel good, you work better! Also, when you have more energy, you can spend more time working on your business—and that means more money in your pocket!
What Counts As “Healthy”?
Anything that makes you feel good in your body! This can look like eating food that makes you feel great (maybe it’s organic veggies and chicken. Maybe it’s a burger and fries). It can also look like going for a walk or a run.
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!