Why Freelance Writers need a Work Life Balance
Freelance writers need to maintain a work-life balance to get maximum fulfillment out of both work projects and personal relationships. When you balance multiple assignments with time with friends and family, you avoid exhaustion and your productivity at work increases.
Exhaustion
When freelance writers put more energy into the work portion of the work-life scale, there is a risk of mental and physical exhaustion. Signs that work projects are priority include working the majority of the day and placing priority on writing assignments rather than on personal activities. You run the risk of overworking to the point of exhaustion. You can become depressed and physically ill if you do not take time away from the work to care for yourself and relax.
The feeling of exhaustion is due to an imbalance between work and personal time. Exhaustion can lead tosyndromeor writer’s block, as you do not give your brain time to unwind. As a freelance writer who is works non-stop you deplete your mind of creativity to the point of having a mental block. Ideas do not come easily and your writing projects ultimately suffer.
When you aretiredat this point, you are also more likely to make errors in spelling and grammar. Your work becomes sloppy due to the absence of rest time. When you take personal time and maintain a work-life balance, such as taking evenings away from the computer, you give your mind and body permission to relax. Socialize, sleep, and rest to prevent writer's block and depression.
Prevent isolation
Freelance writers also need to maintain a work-life balance to keep from becoming isolated and feeling alone. Due to the nature of writing being a solitary activity, you risk becoming introverted if you do not take time from the notepad or computer. You put your personal life on the back burner in favor of yourwritingprojects, causing you to become isolated.
Your relationships outside of work suffer, especially in home offices where you have little interaction with others. You lose touch with social relationships, which can result in feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Stay positive and motivated
When you become isolated, you may also feel negative about life as you lose touch with other people. While your spouse or friends could normally cheer you up after a bad day, you now focus solely on work and do not have those supports. You have an imbalance between work and life.
Without relationships, your motivation as a freelance writer may decrease. You may begin to lose touch with the outside world and feel you are not receiving love or appreciation. Your self-confidence decreases and you may even lose confidence in your own writing. The quality of your work drops.
When you successfully balance work and life, you have healthy personal relationships. These relationships help keep you motivated. While you nurture your own work, you also need people around you to help nurture your sense of self. Your mindset stays positive when people know they are cared for and surround yourself with positive people. Your self-confidence is at a healthy level and you have a strong writing voice.
Boost creativity
writersneed to maintain a work-life balance as participating in extracurricular activities can actually boost creativity. Your conversations with friends and family can spark new ideas for your writing projects. In social settings, you often learn about new trends and issues. You will also likely find that you gain new perspectives for your work when you break for a coffee date or take an extra hour of sleep. You relax your mind and are more productive when you return to the computer to work.
Be careful though to balance the social activities with the time you spend writing. Just as writing cannot become the complete focus, social events can also not take preference. A work-life balance is necessary for freelance writers. If you socialize more than you work, your income decreases. Bills are not paid and you risk going into debt. Strike the balance in time and energy between work and personal activities.
Benefits of the work-life balance for freelance writers include boosting creativity at work, staying healthy rather than exhausted, and being positive on a daily basis.
