Credit: Lorenzo González

Freelance writing is far from a fluff job. It’s hard work, and it can be extremely stressful (as I’m sure you all know). Every once in a while I have to stop and remind myself why I love this lifestyle. I usually end up with a smile on my face remembering what the former “sucker” lifestyle was like working a full-time job, with an hour and a half commute each way, under a completely loopy boss, with not nearly enough pay.

This morning as I was sitting here doing your jobs post, I had the window in front of me. I was watching cars drive by as people head to work. I was reminded of how lucky I am not to be one of them. So on that note, if the freelance life ever has you feeling a bit down, here are five things to think about that will hopefully put a smile on your face.

1. That pot of coffee? It’s all yours. Yummm. – Unlike the office brew, you don’t have to share or feel that itty bitty bit of rage when some lazy sod finishes the pot without bothering to make more. (OK. If you have a spouse, you might have to share a cup or two here and there.)
2. Slippers, robes, and all things fuzzy – If I’m going to haul my butt out of bed and start work at 4 or 5am, fuzzy slippers and a warm robe are a must. Can’t do that working for “the man.” Speaking of “fuzzy” things, you also can’t beat having a dog or cat in the office with you (a well-behaved one at least). It’s adorable how they so often just want to be wherever you are.
3. Sweats and jeans – OK, so maybe sweats aren’t appropriate working attire for everyone, but if you can pull it off why not? The key is this – working at home as a freelancer means you don’t have to spend an hour pressing clothes, getting dressed, and “putting your face on” just to get to the office. You could roll out of bed and already be there if you saw fit. That said, some people find that dressing in office attire at home helps them work more productively because they feel as though they’re really “at work.” I used to be like that. If it works for you, go for it. Personally, I stick to jeans and a tolerable shirt most days, and sweats if I want to convince myself to go workout right after work.
4. Raise a stink. – Probably nothing reminds me how grateful I am to work from home more than doing something simple that I wouldn’t be allowed to do in a traditional office environment. For me, candles do the trick. I’d never be allowed to burn them at work, because the scents could annoy co-workers (not to mention the whole open flame thing). For others it might mean playing loud music or putting on the television to listen to the news (for some types of projects, I literally must have background noise that I couldn’t get outside of the home).
5. ZZZZZZZ. – Earlier this week I was reading about a study on napping during working hours and how it actually significantly improves productivity overall (I don’t think that’s a secret). For the life of me, I can’t remember where I read that though. Since I finish my scheduled client work around noon, I’m not usually in slump central yet. But I do work late often, and that 1 – 4pm range really gets me down. Rather than be 75% less productive than the morning hours, I have no qualms at all about taking a nap when I’m feeling zonked. It’s amazing what 20 – 30 minutes wrapped up in warm blankets can do for your sanity. Take that corporate America!

So go ahead. Take a little time today to think about how lucky you are. If you’re feeling stressed, put on those fuzzy slippers, crank up the music, and belt out your favorite tune while dancing around your office area like some manic teenager. Yeah. I’d feel better too.