How Freelance Writing Helps Your Mental Health

Mental health and freelancing. The two don’t have to be at odds with each other, but all too often they are.

Freelance writing isn’t just a way to make money it can actually be good for your mental health. Whether you’re looking for a new outlet, some stress relief, or just something to do in your spare time, freelance writing is a great choice. 

In this post, I’ll explain how freelancing can actually improve your mental health if you approach it the right way.

Takeaways
1. Freelance writing provides a creative outlet that can be therapeutic and reduce stress.
2. The autonomy and flexibility in freelance writing contribute to improved mental well-being.
3. Engaging in freelance writing can lead to a sense of accomplishment and boost self-esteem.
4. Expressing emotions and thoughts through writing can be cathartic and emotionally beneficial.
5. Freelance writing can help in developing better coping mechanisms and resilience in handling challenges.
6. Balancing freelance writing with self-care activities enhances overall mental health and work-life satisfaction.
7. Joining writing communities and networking with fellow writers fosters a sense of belonging and reduces isolation.
8. Using writing as a form of self-reflection and personal growth can contribute to improved mental clarity and focus.
9. Regularly writing about positive experiences and gratitude promotes a positive outlook and mental well-being.
10. Freelance writing can serve as a tool for exploring and understanding emotions, leading to emotional intelligence.

Reduces Stress

Stress is a cause of mental health issues. These include anxiety, depression, and even schizophrenia. In fact, stress can have such a negative effect on your body that it increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you feel stressed out all the time, it’s likely that you are suffering from some type of mental illness or disorder.

Freelance writing is an excellent way to reduce this stress because it gives you a sense of direction and purpose in life.  You will be working towards something bigger than yourself (your business) but at the same time, this work allows for more flexibility than traditional employment does.

So there is no reason why freelancers should feel any more stressed out than other people who feel undervalued in their jobs or unhappy with their current position at work – which makes them want to quit!

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You Can Design Your Own Schedule

Freelance writing allows you to choose your own schedule. You can work during the day, at night, or even in the morning if you want to. You get to decide when and where you write based on what works best for your life.

For example, maybe working at home helps provide a more peaceful environment for writing than working in an office does but maybe it’s more fun for you to write at a coffee shop with some background noise and socialization around you than sitting alone in an empty house (I don’t know… I’m one of those people who likes both!).

Some writers prefer having flexible hours so that they can spend time with their families during weekends and holidays; others like having consistent hours so that they can plan out their days better; still others like switching between those two schedules depending on how busy things are with work/life balance issues. It’s totally up to each individual writer!

Creates A Sense Of Purpose And Meaning

When you take on a freelance writing job, you will feel like you are making a difference. You are helping other people and making the world a better place.

You can also see the results of your work right away, which gives you a sense of accomplishment. This can help boost your confidence and self-worth as well as give meaning to your life.

You Won’t Get Bored

The variety of work is one of the most attractive aspects of freelance writing. You won’t be bored, because there will always be new projects to work on, new clients to work with, new places to travel to and write about and people to meet.

You’ll have plenty of chances for adventure and exploration too. If you’re stuck in a rut with your current job or career path, freelancing might give you the chance to break out of it and try something different. You could focus on writing about technology or animals or education or health care the possibilities are endless!

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Makes You Happier

You can set your own schedule. If you love to work in the morning, but hate staying up late, freelancing lets you be in charge of what hours you work. If your energy is highest at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm and zero at 9:00 am, that’s great! You won’t have to force yourself into a routine for anyone else; instead, you can do things on your own terms.

You can work from anywhere. This might sound like a no-brainer of course freelancers can work from anywhere but it plays into the other benefits of freelancing as well.

For example: if you live in an apartment with an upstairs neighbor who likes talking loudly on their phone after 11 p.m., there are only so many times that will tickle your fancy before it starts getting under your skin (and making it impossible to get any writing done). 

With freelance writing, however, there are countless coffee shops out there just waiting for someone like yourself with an open laptop and good taste buds!

Freelance Writing Keeps You Creative

Being a freelance writer is a great way to express your creativity. You can write about things you’re passionate about and share that passion with the world in the form of articles and blog posts. Writing for other people’s blogs gives you an opportunity to express yourself more than ever before.

Freelance writing also gives you an opportunity to express your creativity in new ways. Most of us are stuck in our own little worlds, so we forget how different people think or experience life differently from us.

Being able to write articles on topics like travel or home decorating helps broaden your perspective by understanding what it’s like for other people who live their lives differently than yours. This can help inspire new ideas for future projects while also helping others find inspiration through yours!

Freelance Writing Requires Organization

One thing about freelance writing is that it requires organization.

This isn’t a skill you have to be born with, but it is one that can help your business immensely. If you want to succeed as a freelancer, it’s important that you learn how to manage your time and energy effectively. If you’re not good at this already, don’t worry: there are plenty of resources out there that can help!

For example, I use Trello for managing my workload (I’m working on this article right now). But other options include Basecamp or Asana. There are also plenty of apps available for managing your schedule and tasks on mobile devices Todoist is an excellent choice if you’re interested in getting started with these kinds of tools!

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Freelance Writing Can Be A Distraction From Your Own Problems

Freelance writing is a great way to distract yourself from your own problems. You can’t think about your problems, other people’s problems, the future, or the past. You can’t even think about anything at all!

Distraction from the present moment: The present moment is often where our thoughts and feelings are most intense and overwhelming. Freelance writing helps you focus on something else, in this case, writing assignments, and allows you to be fully engaged in that task without distraction. 

This keeps you focused on what’s happening right now without worrying about what might happen next or what has happened before. It also helps keep your mind off of things like unpleasant memories (the past) or stressful situations (the future).

If these distractions are keeping you up at night let alone during working hours consider turning them into a productive distraction by picking up freelance work!

Eliminate unhealthy habits: A lot of people turn to smoking or alcohol when they’re stressed out because they don’t know how else to cope with their anxiety. However these habits only exacerbate mental health issues instead of alleviating them (and can also result in other health complications). 

Freelance writing allows you to harness those feelings into something positive instead like making money so there’s no need for harmful coping mechanisms anymore!

Freelance writing can help you find new friends.

As a freelance writer, you can meet friends in several different ways. Online, you may find others who are interested in the same topics as you and want to get together for coffee or a writing session. 

In-person events like conferences and networking meetups are other good opportunities for finding local friends who write for fun or professionally.

You also may be able to make friends with people who live nearby the world of freelancing offers many opportunities for connecting with people from cities across the country and around the world.

Whether it’s through your monthly newsletter or just by chatting casually at a workshop, find ways to connect with other writers online and off so that they become part of your community.

Freelance Writing Lets You Focus On Yourself For A Change

One of the best things about freelance writing is that it can help you get back to focusing on yourself. You don’t have to worry about writing someone else’s material or following what they want you to write; instead, you can write exactly what’s on your mind (or in your heart). 

It might be something that’s been bothering you for a long time and now has an outlet, or it could be just a fun thing that makes light of your day-to-day life. 

The point is that when we’re working in this field, we’re not just serving our employers’ needs we’re also serving ourselves by coming into contact with ideas and experiences that resonate with us personally. This is an amazing opportunity for personal growth.

Success in freelancing requires discipline and focus. Learn why maintaining a high level of discipline is a crucial element for any freelancer striving to achieve their goals. Check out our article on why discipline is key to being a successful freelancer for expert tips and advice.

Sometimes Freelance Writing Helps You Realize How Great Your Life Is

Some days, it’s easy to get caught up in what you don’t have. But other times, freelance writing can help you realize how great your life is. Here are some points:

• You can focus on your own problems for a change. If all you’ve been doing is thinking about the needs of others, it’s nice to be able to think about what you want and need for once.

This helps us feel like we’re taking care of ourselves instead of being taken care of by someone else or society at large (which isn’t always a good thing).

This also means that if you have any issues going on in your life financial, health-related or otherwise you can devote time and energy toward solving them without feeling guilty about neglecting everyone else around them (again!).

• You can get paid for doing what you love! It doesn’t get much better than this when it comes down to it; especially since many people believe themselves incapable of turning their passions into profitable endeavors because they don’t see anyone else doing so with theirs! It’s almost like having our cake and eating it too here…

Writing Helps You Process Things

Writing is a way for you to process things, especially when it comes to emotions. It helps you work through your thoughts and feelings by putting them down on paper so that they can be organized and analyzed in a way that makes sense to you.

Writing is an excellent outlet if you have been through something difficult or upsetting because it allows you to sort out your thoughts and figure out what exactly happened in the situation. This can help you come up with ways of dealing with similar situations in the future, or decide if there really was anything wrong with what happened at all!

Writing Helps You Become A Better Communicator

Being a freelance writer requires you to communicate with others, whether it’s via email, phone calls, meetings or social media. Even if you don’t want to do any of those things and just want to focus on your own writing tasks (which is totally fine), there will still be times when you need to interact with other people in order for your business to run smoothly.

Communicating on the job helps you become a better communicator overall because of all the exposure it gives you: You learn how others communicate and what their preferences are; this allows you to tailor your communication style accordingly when talking with them.

You also learn how not everyone speaks English as their first language (or at all), which can be frustrating if left unaddressed since there’s no universally accepted way for non-native speakers of English who aren’t fluent enough yet at communicating

Through the written word alone yet also don’t want their clients’ attention diverted away from their ideas instead of focusing on what they’re trying hard enough at conveying through words alone right now without any help.

Expanding your comfort zone by conversing regularly with people over the phone while taking notes during those conversations so they’ll remember key points later when reviewing notes later after disconnecting the call when done talking/listening/taking notes..

Writing Makes You More Self-Aware

When you’re writing, it’s often easier to understand your own thoughts and feelings than when you’re just thinking about them. Sometimes this is because writing forces us to slow down and make sense of our feelings in a way that we can’t do with speech or think alone.

Other times, it’s because writing is like talking for an hour straight it gets the words out of our heads so we don’t have to keep them there any longer than necessary. You’ll also notice that when someone else reads your work, they become more aware of themselves as well (assuming they’re paying attention).

For example: When I wrote my memoir about growing up without parents, I saw how my childhood shaped me into an adult who values independence over most everything else in life (but still loves her friends!). Writing helped me see my flaws and strengths more clearly than ever before and then share those insights with others through my book!

Write To Relax

Writing has the ability to help you relax. When you write, your brain gets a break from the constant stream of thoughts that most people have. This can be an enjoyable activity for many people even if it’s something as easy as sitting down and writing out a list of things you need to do that day or week.

It is important to note that this does not mean using writing as an excuse for procrastination! It’s also possible to use this time for creative purposes, such as composing new lyrics or coming up with new plot ideas for a novel or short story. You don’t even need anything fancy either a pen and paper will suffice!

Thriving as a freelance legal services lawyer is a rewarding journey. If you’re considering entering this field, our comprehensive guide on succeeding as a freelance legal services lawyer will equip you with essential insights and strategies to excel in your legal freelance career.

Final Thoughts

Overall, freelance writing can be a wonderful way to maintain or improve your mental health. It’s not the only solution, and it might not work for everyone, but it has worked wonders for me. The key is to keep an open mind and do whatever works best for you.

In a nutshell, freelance writing has the potential to bring you a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose in your work. That alone is one of the biggest reasons why so many people are making the transition from full-time office jobs to freelance writing!

Further Reading

Benefits of Freelance Writing for Mental Health and Well-Being: Explore the positive impact that freelance writing can have on mental health and overall well-being, highlighting the potential benefits of pursuing a writing career.

Maintaining Well-Being as a Freelance Writer: Discover practical tips and strategies to maintain your well-being while navigating the challenges of being a freelance writer, promoting a healthier and more sustainable career.

Freelancers’ Mental Health: Nurturing a Balanced Lifestyle: Learn about the importance of mental health among freelancers and find insights on how to foster a balanced lifestyle in the dynamic world of freelancing.

People Also Ask

Can I Take A Break From Writing?

Yes, and this is one of the best things about being freelance: there is no boss to tell you that it’s time to go home or that your workday needs to end. You can set your own schedule, so there’s no pressure to clock in at the same time every day.

This freedom also means that if you need a break, it’s yours for the taking. If you’re feeling burnt out after working hard all week on a project, take some time off and recharge before diving back into another project!

How Long Does It Take For My Writing Assignment To Be Done?

Usually, about 2-3 days (or less) depending on how many pages are assigned come in each month. For example: if someone wants 100 pages written per month then each assignment would normally include 10-12 pages worth of work (based on average word count).

That means we have enough time between assignments going out without any overlap between them during busy times like December/January when demand increases even further than normal due to Christmas advertising deadlines approaching fast!

I’m A Writer And Want To Learn How To Freelance. What Should I Do?

To begin, you should determine whether or not freelance writing is right for you. If it sounds like something that would be satisfying and rewarding and if the thought of working from home fills your heart with joy and excitement then it may be worth your while to invest in some education on how to get started as a freelancer.

There are plenty of online resources available that can help guide you through the process (we recommend Rocket Languages). Once you’re ready to find clients, we suggest doing so via a website like Clarity.fm or Problogger Job Board (or even directly contacting brands on social media)

What Exactly Is Freelance Writing?

Freelance writing refers to writing that you do for others, often as a part of a contract or agreement with them.

Freelance writers don’t have just one client they have many different clients who will hire them for different projects at various times. Being a freelance writer means that you get to choose the kinds of projects you want to take on and how much time and energy you want to devote to each project. 

It also means that your income can vary greatly from month to month or even week to week depending on how busy your schedule gets during certain times of the year (holidays are especially busy).

If this sounds like something that could be interesting but potentially unstable for your mental health, I’ll go into more detail about how freelancing can help in a moment!

How Do I Know Whether Or Not I Have The Skills To Be A Freelance Writer?

If you’ve written in some capacity before and have experience with editing, then chances are that you can apply for gigs as a freelance writer.

Here’s a quick test to see if you’re ready:

Take five minutes and write an article about something that’s at least loosely related to your niche (or something different if it helps).

Then give it to someone else who knows nothing about your field of expertise; they should be able to understand what you’re trying to say and enjoy reading it. If they can’t figure out what the piece is about by themselves within five minutes, edit it down until they do.

You’ll also need some basic tech skills familiarity with Microsoft Word will go a long way here but don’t worry about getting into coding or anything like that.