I’m a full-time, independent writer. I work from home, which means that if I choose to lie down on the couch in my pajamas all day, I can. If I want to take a three-hour lunch break, have at it.
And if I want to take two weeks off to travel, there’s no one stopping me but myself (and deadlines). You might think this sounds like heaven that freelancing is an empowering life choice that saves you from the drudgery of a 9-5 job. But there’s a dark side to freelancing and self-employment, too.
There are times when working for yourself feels like torture particularly when you get sick or bored with your own company (and let’s face it, we all do). So why am I still doing it?. Why would anyone choose freelance work over steady employment?.
Despite the difficulties and pitfalls that come with freelancing for a living, here are reasons why my job has made me happier
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Freelancing offers the potential to increase happiness and overall well-being. |
| The flexibility and autonomy of freelancing can contribute to a better work-life balance. |
| Pursuing passions and working on projects aligned with personal interests can lead to greater fulfillment. |
| Freelancers have the opportunity to create their own schedules and work environments. |
| Overcoming challenges and finding success as a freelancer can enhance happiness and job satisfaction. |
Freelancing Allows You To Be With Your Family
A big perk of freelancing is that you can work from anywhere. You don’t have to commute or drive to an office, which means that you can spend more time with your family.
You may have heard the saying “work-life balance.” It means that one should strive to have a healthy balance between their professional life and personal life. The problem is that this isn’t possible when you’re working in an office environment because there are set times for different tasks (e.g., lunch break).
If you want a better work-life balance but still want to keep your job at a company, then try freelancing on the side!
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Freelancing Saves Money
You can save money on the following:
- Travel costs. If you have to travel for your job, freelancing means that you will not have to pay for transportation and accommodation.
- Office space. Not having an office may seem like a disadvantage at first, but it does not matter if you work from home or in coffee shops or cafes in the city center. You will only spend a little bit more time traveling between venues than if you had an office because most of your time is spent working on projects anyway.
- Equipment costs (e.g., computers). Having all of your equipment with you wherever you go makes things easy when it comes to getting work done!
You won’t need fancy computers or devices that only work in specific locations because what matters most is what happens in your mind and hands not how advanced their equipment is.
Plus there are plenty of cheap alternatives out there too such as Chromebooks that cost less than $200 each while still being able to handle any task thrown their way including photo editing tasks such as Adobe Photoshop CC which many professionals use every day throughout their careers so they can focus more on quality rather than quantity when working through assignments.
Freelancing Gives More Time To Do What You Love
When you’re freelancing, it’s up to you how much time you want to work. You can work more if you want more money or less if that’s what feels right for your schedule. You also have more flexibility in terms of when and where you work.
It could be during the day at home or in the evenings after dinner with friends, or even during your free Sunday morning when there are no other appointments scheduled. The same goes for who you choose to collaborate with as well the decision is completely up to you.
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Freelancing Reduces Stress
Freelancing can be a great way to reduce stress. When you’re working for yourself, you have more control over your time and schedule.
You don’t have to worry about getting in trouble with a boss, or missing deadlines because of another person’s incompetence. If your clients are late on payments, it won’t cause any financial stress because freelancing gives you more freedom in terms of making money when you need it.
This was especially true for me after I quit my full-time job as an engineer at Google and started my own consulting business (where I worked from home). It was nice that I could work from anywhere since my family didn’t move across the country like some other people do when they start their business ventures.
It also meant that if anything unexpected came up like sickness or car troubles then there wasn’t anyone else depending on our income so we could take care of ourselves first before worrying about others’ needs too much.
Freelancing Empowers You To Follow Your Passion And Purpose
The most obvious benefit of freelancing is that it allows you to make your schedule, which can be an empowering feeling. You can work when you want, where you want, and how you want.
In addition, the projects that I am working on are ones that I’ve chosen because they are interesting to me or meaningful in some way.
Sure, there are times when I have to do some writing for a client but even then – I’m choosing my subjects or topics and writing about what’s important to me rather than following a set format or subject matter dictated by someone else.
A lot of other people may not think this is such an amazing thing but when your job becomes something that brings meaning into your life – it makes all the difference.
Freelancing Improves The Quality Of Your Life
Freelancers lead happier lives than their traditional counterparts, so the saying goes. And it’s true! When you work for yourself, you can set your hours and delegate tasks to suit your needs. With that said, I believe there are many other reasons why freelancing has improved my quality of life.
- Improved Quality of Life
- Increased Productivity
- More Time to Spend with Family
- More Time to Pursue Personal Interests (e.g., Hobbies)
- More Time To Travel (if you want)
New Career Opportunities and A Passion Project (i.e., something creative or artistic that you have always wanted to try but never had time for before).
You may find that some projects take longer than others, depending on how many hours per week/month/year they require from you for them to be successful at all – which is fine. Just make sure not every single second is booked up with work commitments because then we wouldn’t get any paid vacation days
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Freelancing Increases Flexibility
Flexibility is one of the most difficult things to achieve in a traditional job. If you need time off, if you want to work another job, if your boss wants you to come in on a holiday – it’s not going to happen without a fight.
Working for yourself means that no office politics or timelines are dictating what you can and cannot do with your day. You get to make the choices about how and when you work, which translates into more flexibility in every aspect of life that matters: health, family, career, and finances!
Freelancing Makes It Possible To Travel More Often
As a freelancer, you can travel whenever and wherever you want. For example, I love visiting my family and friends in the United States but it’s hard for me to do that because of visa issues.
If I was hired by an organization or company based in the US, then it would be much easier for me to come back often as I could use one of their official trips as an excuse for my frequent visits.
However, my current situation doesn’t allow that option so instead, I have been finding ways to get around this obstacle and still make it possible for me to travel more frequently without having any restrictions on how often or where I go!
In addition to being able to see your favorite locations and people more often (which is great), there are also other benefits associated with traveling as well:
Freelancing Increases Wealth Creation Potential
If you’re a freelancer, you can earn money while doing something that interests you.
It doesn’t matter what your passion is because there are clients for just about everything. If you love cooking, some clients will be willing to pay for your services as a chef. If photography is your thing, there are plenty of people out there who would love photos of their family or business events.
Freelancing allows people to build their businesses by working on their terms and at their convenience. You don’t have to work in an office where most of the time people are only interested in getting the job done fast so they can go home early or take long lunch breaks.
Instead, when working as a freelancer, everything depends on how well it’s done so that it can be delivered on time and within budget and this means that if any mistake happens then it will affect not only one person but also everyone involved (including yourself).
Thus being able to manage these deadlines while ensuring quality workmanship puts pressure on both sides: yourself as well as those who hired/employing/hiring from/etc…
Freelancing Reduces Chances Of Becoming Obese.
If you’re a freelancer, there’s a good chance that you’re more active than your non-freelancing peers. If you’re not, it’s probably because of laziness or apathy and not because of any inherent difficulty with the work itself.
Freelancers tend to be self-motivated and able to organize their time effectively, meaning they can prioritize exercise even if they don’t have a boss breathing down their neck about it.
Additionally, freelancers are more likely to eat healthier diets than non-freelancers they know that eating well makes them feel better and works in favor of their productivity. They also tend to sleep better because they aren’t worried about how late they stayed up working on something last night (or morning).
Finally, freelancers often have balanced lives where they get enough time for friends and family outside of work; this helps them avoid burnout while also making them happier overall
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People Who Work From Home Live Longer Than Office Workers
Aside from the obvious benefits to your happiness and wellbeing, freelancing has been shown to have a positive effect on the overall health of society at large.
For example, according to a study from Stanford University and Harvard Business School, people who work from home are more productive and happier than those who work in an office setting.
The researchers suggest this is because working remotely allows employees more freedom over their time management: they can sleep later or wake up earlier if they want, for example, without having to worry about arriving at the office on time.
More Productive People Are Freelancers
It’s always been an urban legend that freelancers are more productive than office workers. But, there is a scientific study to prove it.
In a fascinating article by Michael Simmons, he shares his findings after experimenting with a group of people who were tasked with solving puzzles and completing tasks.
He found that the freelancers were able to complete more tasks in less time while being more efficient and creative than those who stayed at their offices.
Michael also shared his personal experience when he worked as a contractor for IBM and found that he was much more relaxed on weekends because he didn’t have to go to work!
It Will Make You More Creative And Smarter
Creativity is a very important part of life. It is not only about having good ideas, it is also about being able to implement them.
If you are creative, then you will be able to find solutions to problems in different ways than others do. You can easily adapt new trends and concepts to your work which might help you become more successful in the future.
Being creative daily helps us to keep our brains sharp and we will have more energy for other activities as well!
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Final Thoughts
In conclusion, going freelance can open up many doors for personal growth. It forces you to quit things that aren’t serving you and put your energy into something bigger. If you’re thinking of making a change, I highly recommend giving it a go. You probably won’t look back!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful in exploring the topic of freelancing and its impact on happiness:
Being a Freelancer Makes You a Happier Person: Discover the positive effects freelancing can have on your overall happiness and well-being.
Benefits of Freelancing: How Freelancing Can Improve Your Life: Explore the various benefits and advantages of freelancing, including its potential impact on happiness and personal fulfillment.
What Makes Freelancers Happy: Insights and Strategies: Gain insights into the factors that contribute to freelancer happiness and learn strategies to enhance your own happiness as a freelancer.
People Also Ask
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelancer is someone who works on a project-by-project basis, rather than full-time. Typically, they are hired by a client who needs help with a specific project or task. This could be anything from writing an article to designing a website, to creating a video.
What Is Freelancing?
Freelancing is the practice of working for yourself and hiring others to help you with your projects. You can do this full-time, or you could do it on the side of your day job.
How Does A Freelancer Work?
There are two major ways to work as a freelancer. The first is to be a solo entrepreneur, which means you’re the only person working on a business. The second is to work alongside other freelancers in a team, which is called “freelancing.”
Is There An Age Limit For Freelancing?
No! You can start freelancing at any age! However, if you’re just starting or have no experience, it’s probably best to wait until you’re out of high school or college before jumping into the workforce.
Do I Need The Experience To Become A Freelancer?
Not necessarily! If you have any experience with computers or communication tools like Skype or Slack (and we hope you do), then that’s great! But otherwise, it’s totally fine if you don’t have any prior experience—you’ll learn as you go along!
Can I Work From Home?
Yes! A lot of people choose to freelance from home, but many prefer working in an office environment with other freelancers or remote employees. It all depends on what type of job you want and where your skills will be most beneficial to the company hiring you (or vice versa).
How Much Money Can I Make Freelancing?
This depends on what you’re doing and how good you are at it. Some freelancers make high six-figure salaries, while others are making only a few hundred dollars per month. It varies wildly depending on the industry and where you live.
What Should I Do If My Company Offers Me A Raise?
If your company offers you a raise, there are two options: 1) take the raise and stay at your current job; or 2) reject the raise and quit your job to freelance instead. If you choose option 2, make sure that this is something that interests you!
Is Freelancing Right For Me?
Freelancing is perfect for people who love their work but hate going in every day to an office or being told what to do by a boss. Freelancers are their bosses, so they can set their hours and work on projects they’re passionate about.
They also get to be more flexible with where they live and travel, since they don’t have to be tied down by a company that has rules about where its employees live or how much vacation time they take each year.
What Kind Of Work Is Available?
There are many different kinds of work available as a freelancer! If you’re interested in writing articles online, you can often find work on sites like Upwork or Freelancer.
If you have a skill in design or development, there are many freelance design platforms where you can find clients who need help creating websites or apps for them (for example 99 Designs).
If you have skills in coding, then you’ll probably want to check out places like Codeable or Toptal these companies specialize in finding developers who are looking for contracts with clients around the world.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.