A Freelance Web Designer’s Guide to Managing Stress

Many people working for others imagine that working for themselves is a dream. After all, you set your schedule and work from home each day. There isn’t any in-office bullshit. It’s your job on your terms. While all those things might be true, that doesn’t mean work stress is gone. In many ways, it’s worse for those running their own businesses. You have obligations to clients, deadlines, and meetings to get to, all while running your business and being your own boss. It can be overwhelming, and sometimes, I have wondered if I made a terrible mistake during my career. Just clocking hours for a regular paycheck can seem dreamy. However, just a few techniques can get things under control and make working for yourself less stressful.

Here are five things you can do today to reduce stress as a freelance web designer:

1. SCHEDULE EMAIL MANAGEMENT – One of the most stressful things for me has always been emails. I have so many incoming emails each day that it can feel like I’m playing Wack-a-Mole. I have learned that 1/2 hour to one hour of morning email management is what works for me. Then, I do project work. At lunch, I do another email scan and then another email check-in for 1/2 hour to one hour at the end of the day. I don’t check email after I leave the office for the day. I also don’t respond to clients during off-hours. I schedule my replies for the following day. Tools I use for these techniques include SaneBox and MixMax.
2. LIMIT MEETINGS – More than 20 years ago, I worked for a small retail chain called Jay Jacobs. While we had meetings all the time, they were focused and not the most significant part of my day. Most days, I worked on completing my actual job (allocation analyst). I briefly left that company for Eddie Bauer to do the same job. When I got to EB, we had meetings all day. I never had time to do my actual job. Our meetings were long and unfocused. Most employees would work for 12 hours because they spend hours in a conference room shooting the shit. When I started my own web design business, which began to grow, I had meetings happening all the time. I was so stressed because I never had time to do my work. Since then, my actual meeting time has become less and less. I now have about six hours of meeting time available to clients/potential clients and colleagues each week. That’s it. 
3. SCHEDULE VACATIONS AND DAYS OFF – Plan at least one real vacation a year and schedule days off just because. You need an actual holiday every now and then and personal days. I recently blocked out every other Friday afternoon on my calendar for the summer. I want to work on home projects or take a magazine to the beach. 
4. MEDITATE – This has been a game-changer for me. I don’t know what I would be without a daily meditation practice. My mind wanders, so guided meditation works best for me. Check out YouTube and find something for free.
5. EXERCISE – Whatever makes you feel good. Walking, running, swimming, biking, hiking, the gym, or at-home workouts. What works for me constantly changes, but I’m less stressed as long as I get 1/2 to one hour of movement daily.

The rule is to make keeping stress under control a priority. It’s as important as that looming deadline or meeting with your biggest client. I have fallen into the trap of thinking that completing my to-do list will solve my stress. That never works because my to-do list grows every single day.

If you don’t care for yourself, you will be burnt out, less creative, and uninspired.

RESOURCES:  Entrepreneur – Top Tips for Managing Stress