The Freelancer’s Guide to Managing Stress Like a Pro

There’s so much to love about being a freelancer. The freedom to run your business the way you choose, pursue your own goals, be your own boss, and the privilege of working from anywhere, to name a few. Of course, the lifestyle doesn’t come without its challenges, including stress.

I realized early on that one of the downsides of freelancing is that the buck stops with me. All the bucks stop with me. I’m responsible for sourcing gigs, doing the work to the customer’s satisfaction, making sure there’s enough money in the bank, and managing my time, and these pressures can cause a boatload of stress. 

Yes, it comes with the territory, but there are multiple methods to relieve stress. Some are essential, like caring for your physical and mental health, while others are optional extras. So, if you have veins standing out on your forehead and you’ve bitten your nails down to nubs, take some time out to read my guide on how to manage stress like a pro.

Why You Need to Manage Stress

Burnout is dangerous and hard to recover from. Your mind and body are a mess, and in all likelihood, you may be unable to work for a while. That will only bring more stress because bills must be paid, and clients won’t wait for you to get well for their next project to be completed. Burnout must be avoided at all costs. That’s why you need to know how to manage stress.

How to Manage Stress Like a Pro

I know my freelance journey will always be fraught with stressful situations, but how I handle it might be the most important factor in whether my business succeeds. Here’s a collection of stress-relieving tips that work for me.

Mindset and Mental Health

As a freelance writer, my mind is my primary resource, so my mental health is my first priority. Some habits that help manage stress include:

• Mindfulness or meditation: Before starting your workday, take 5-10 minutes to be completely still. Whether you pray, meditate, or relax on the deck, it’s important to quieten your mind and start the day off calmly. There are also apps you can use to reset your mind.
• Practicing gratitude: Listing the things I’m grateful for shifts my focus from stress to positivity. And the more I do this, the longer the list grows.
• Journaling: Brain-dump your worries, reflect on wins, or plan your day. Journaling brings mental clarity, and I find it’s a great way of downloading things I can’t articulate or haven’t even realized yet.
• Visualizing success: Guided imagery or simply imagining a positive outcome can help reduce performance anxiety. 
• Adopting a growth mindset: Seeing challenges as learning opportunities rather than failures makes handling stress easier.
• Setting realistic goals: With massive projects, the only way to avoid burnout is to break them down into bite-sized, manageable chunks. Achieving these smaller individual goals also brings satisfaction—a great stress reliever.
• Schedule “worry time”: This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s a habit I taught my kids when they were anxious, and it works. Allow yourself ten minutes to worry and express your emotions. Then, move on to find solutions. It develops a can-do attitude while allowing you to blow off some steam.

Physical Wellness

Your physical health is just as important as your mental health, so it’s worth prioritizing. What we eat, drink, and do with our bodies can aid stress relief.

• Eat nourishing food. Yes, it’s tempting to live on seventeen cups of coffee and a few bags of crisps because it saves time, but don’t do it. Balanced meals stabilize your energy and moods.
• Stay hydrated. Dehydration increases stress and fatigue, and research shows that for optimal hydration, men need 3.7 liters of fluids a day, and women need 2.7. I’m definitely guilty of not staying hydrated when I’m busy, so I keep a water bottle on my desk to remind me to drink throughout the day. If you don’t enjoy plain water, add a slice of lemon or other fruit to improve the taste.
• Do regular exercise. I’m stuck in my study all day (and often late into the night). It’s easy to get stuck there for ages without getting up. Exercise boosts the production of endorphins (feel-good hormones). Even a 15-minute walk is enough to get them pumping, making you feel happier and calmer. It’s also a great way to stop focusing on work stress.
• Get outdoors. Nature has proven stress-reducing effects, and spending 20-30 minutes in nature causes a significant drop in the stress hormone cortisol.
• Get enough sleep. No hustle is worth sacrificing a good night’s rest. Aim for 7-9 hours of consistent sleep. According to the American Psychological Association, people who sleep for less than eight hours per night experience more stress than people who get enough rest. 

Work Habits and Productivity

Yes, there are also things you can do while you work to prevent stress. Firstly, stick to a routine, as a structured day helps reduce chaos and decision fatigue. Starting my day off the same way every day and keeping to a similar work pattern brings order to my mind and helps me get underway without too much stalling.

Planning ahead is a great help. Time block your day by grouping similar tasks and assigning them a time slot. You’ll feel more in control. It’s true; things will still go pear-shaped now and then, but armed with a plan, you stand a much better chance of getting back on track.

When I struggle with productivity, the Pomodoro technique works well and helps prevent burnout. This involves working in short sprints of 25 minutes with 5-minute breaks in between. 

Working from home can be distracting with all the household tasks calling your name, so create a dedicated workspace to separate “work mode” from “home mode.” Keeping this space tidy and uncluttered also helps you think clearly and calmly.

Having a home office also means you can run the risk of working until the wee hours, which is not a healthy habit. Put a hard stop to your day, just like you would at a traditional job. 

I’ve also had to learn to set boundaries and stick to them. When you work from home, clients often contact you at all hours for work purposes. Don’t respond immediately to every message or take on every project. Learning to say no more often will keep you sane and prevent burnout.

At the end of the week, I like to review my progress. I celebrate the small wins, see where I need to step up the pace, and prepare for the week ahead. Being a solopreneur also means I have to work smarter, so using tools, apps, templates, and sometimes a virtual assistant helps reduce my workload and, thereby, my stress.

Tech and Tools

Technology can work for or against you, so you need to find the right balance.

• Try using stress-reducing apps. Great options include meditation apps like Calm, productivity tools like Todoist or Notion, and focus music apps like Brain.fm.
• Use noise-canceling headphones. These block out distractions and reduce sensory overload.
• Try ambient sound or lo-fi playlists. Background music can be calming and create a focused atmosphere.
• Limit your screen time. Give your brain and eyes a break, especially outside of work time.
• Turn off notifications. Constant pings = constant cortisol buildup. Set do-not-disturb hours.

Social and Support

As a freelancer, you work alone most of the time. If you’re an introvert like me, that’s part of the joy of freelancing. However, we all need people to help lighten the load sometimes. When the pressure is high, connecting with others can keep you sane.

• Talk to other freelancers. Join communities or local meetups to feel less isolated.
• Talk it out with a friend – sometimes just venting is enough to de-stress.
• Collaborate with others.
• Hire a coach or therapist to help you manage your stress.
• Hug someone! Research shows that enjoyable physical contact can lower stress levels. It reduces your cortisol and releases oxytocin, decreasing blood pressure and lowering your heart rate – two physical symptoms of high stress.

Creative Outlets and Fun

Participating in activities beyond work is essential for a good work/life balance and sanity. Do something creative just for the joy of it, not for profit. Whether baking, painting, or gardening, it will take you out of your head and release those feel-good hormones you need to manage your stress.

Laughter is, of course, the best remedy for stress. Watch a funny video (animal videos are my favorite) or listen to a comedy podcast. A good belly laugh is an excellent stress buster.

Cultivate a Mindful Freelance Mindset

As a freelancer, I find it easy to become obsessive about work. I’m at work all the time. I’m solely responsible for my business and income. However, cultivating a mindful freelance attitude keeps me grounded and is a great stress reliever.

• Accept that slow periods are part of the cycle and plan accordingly.
• Detach your self-worth from productivity – you’re not your output.
• Remind yourself why you started freelancing to reignite your purpose.
• Let go of perfectionism and aim for progress and improvement.
• Practice self-compassion. You won’t be at the top of your game every day – and that’s okay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRvKjzMIYTw

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Minimizing Stress and Maximizing Healthy Habits

Stress can be debilitating and lead to burnout, so we need to learn to conquer it. It’s not that difficult. Prioritizing your mental and physical health and cultivating healthy work habits and attitudes will soon have you managing stress like a pro.

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