While Freelancing and running a business, having ups and downs are to be expercted. One moment you feel untouchable, everything goes your way…
And then there are moments when everything possible goes wrong, spiralling out of control and mistakes keep happening.
During those darker periods of working for ourselves, confidence can tend to plummet. We hesitate and doubt ourselves while feeling super anxious about what we are doing, and how we are doing it.
At the moment this feeling can feel that it’s lasting a lifetime… But in reality, this is just a temporary feeling and doesn’t last very long. With perseverance and some useful tricks, you should be feeling better about your ability soon!
Table of Contents
Get out of that negative mindset at work
The news is so depressing, it’s always negative. Whether it’s TV, Twitter or Facebook, there is always people letting off steam and exposing it to the world, one way or another. Start the day like this instead.
Try to spin every negative into something positive. This will make your life and others around you more productive and will create a happier environment.
Is quitting alcohol worth it?
Quitting alcohol can transform your life. You will find that your mental well-being and self-esteem could improve. Personally, when I quit drinking alcohol and swapped it for water, I felt so much more alive, and efficient and had way more energy.
Even if you only drink one or two glasses a few days, reducing further may improve your sleeping pattern, reduce anxiety and feel generally happier.
If giving up alcohol is too hard, try some alcohol-free alternatives. The quality of them has improved so much over the last few years, sometimes you cannot taste the difference.
Are freelancers perfectionists?
Being a freelancer is competitive, and there is a lot of pressure to be perfect because at the end of the day, you want to beat your competition to get the job so you need to step the best foot forward.
With new freelancing platforms such as Fiver and Upwork, you are perfecting your skills to become ‘Top Rated’ for your chosen industry that you are working in. This also creates the perfectionist effect.
Social media has also pushed this to the extreme. There are loads of influencers on social media living alternative lives, jet setting around the world. Everybody in the 21st century is familiar with the buzzword, “digital nomad”. Those superhumans who are perfectly tanned and toned, living “their best life” and jumping on private yachts and planes while working remotely.
It may be like that for some people, but for most, it’s a big hustle and marketing campaign, only showing what they want you to see. These people might look like they’ve got it all figured out, but the reality is often very different. Separating holidays from work cannot be easy. Do these people actually enjoy what they are doing?
Not everyone is a perfectionist, and you do not have to be one to succeed as a freelancer. If you are too much of a perfectionist you will run out of time because nothing will ever be good enough.
Do I need social media to make friends?
If you think about it, most of the friends you have, were probably made outside of social media, so how important is it? And does social media make you happy long term?
What do you need to do your job?
Marketing is amazing and people love buying what they don’t actually need. Shiny things don’t also help your business long term.
Be ruthless when buying. The one good thing that has come from Covid-19 is the realisation that savings in the bank and having liquidity is super important, especially as we have seen businesses completely dry up and shut down. Here’s a list of businesses that didn’t make it to 2022.
Reducing the things we buy also help the planet by reducing our carbon footprint. Make use of the stuff you have before buying things that you don’t need.
If you have items lying around that you don’t use, why not try; selling on eBay, donating stuff to charity shops or upselling.
By tidying and sorting, you end up with a more regimented and organised business. Reduce that stuff for a less stressful life.
Take a break from business or freelancing
Sometimes, we start to hate what we are doing or working on. This is a horrible situation to be in, but also can be very eye-opening and transitional.
But, before you make any life changes; take a holiday and completely switch off, I hear that the Maldives is an excellent destination this year! When you go back to work, reevaluate how you feel and if you decide you still hate it, it may be time to switch things up and experience something new. Nothing is wrong with trying out a new career or even taking a gap year.
Leave your comfort zone and innovate
Toys “R” us was a massive company with a super-strong brand on the high street, the reason they’ve shrunk so much was that they didn’t innovate and break into the online market. Companies such as Amazon overtook them.
In business or when freelancing, always keep an eye on the competition, be reactive and responsive to changes in the market… And innovate. Get yourself out there and talk to people. Learn as much as you can and keep developing both as a professional and as a person.
Try to figure out what you or your business shy away from, and make it your goal to conquer it. Have you ever cold-called? Or tried something again after rejection? Attending networking events can create opportunities for your business, many people avoid talking to strangers. Opening new doors and looking for new opportunities will create wonders for your business, give it a try!
Give something back
Sometimes we are absorbed in ourselves/business. Sometimes it’s great to step back and raise money for charities or causes. Helping out a friend or mentoring a graduate can feel great and provide so many insights while boosting mental wellbeing. Giving back provides a sense of purpose which is very hard to replicate.
Know that you are great at what you do.
Remember that you are great at what you do, and have so many success stories under your belt. Don’t let the bad few infect everything you have worked to create.
We don’t also give ourselves the praise that we deserve. Remember to treat yourself, for every small win. Evaluate everything that went well and embrace the positives. Celebrate our wins, our achievements, our breakthroughs.
As humans, it’s natural that we focus on our failures or mistakes (which are, in fact, valuable lessons), and the negative things people might have said. Negatives are not bad things, as long as you can learn from them and even possibly make them into your new future strengths.
Negativity is everywhere, try to switch out that negative thought process with a positive one, along with any lessons you might’ve learned. Next time things will be better.
Never replay in your mind the negative things people say or do, focus on the good stuff: praise from a client, a kind act from a stranger or a supportive comment from a friend. I strongly believe that if you keep thinking negatively, this will create more negative output.
A little positive thinking, compassion and kindness every day can help not just you but others around you as well..
