How to not lose your mind while working from home

So I got a phone call today at about 2pm from one of my clients. It lasted three minutes. And that was the only time I heard my own voice all day.

This isn’t an everyday occurrence for me, but it’s also not that out of the ordinary. I work from home most of the week, which means I don’t have an office full of coworkers to talk with. It’s something common to lots of freelancers who work from home and sometimes it can be a little weird. Here are some ways to prevent craziness resulting from freelancing-induced cabin fever.

Talk to someone, anyone

It might be strange at first, but making small talk is great for staving off insanity. I do most of my grocery shopping during the day now, and it seems it’s just me and the seniors. At first I was hyper-paranoid that they were scrutinizing my purchases and tallying up how much produce was in my basket versus anything else, but then I noticed how friendly and chatty they were. They joke with me and I’ve even seen them stop in the aisles to discuss their lives with each other. I’m not suggesting you stroll up there and join the conversation, but take a cue from them and make small talk with people you encounter. There’s nothing like practicing speaking when you sit at home and write all day!

Submit to distraction (but just a bit)

I know that “avoid distraction” is one of the top five tips for a successful freelance writing career, but it’s okay to let yourself get distracted every now and then. Read something frivolous on the internet or call someone for a chat if you want to. Don’t go overboard, but don’t become so consumed by your work that you begin to resent it.

Take work that you normally wouldn’t

If you are writing the same kind of articles repeatedly or taking the same type of writing jobs over and over, you might be at risk of breaking your brain. If you come across a job that sounds fun but isn’t the kind of thing you usually do, consider going for it anyway. For example, if you write about personal finance and you see that a zoo needs brochure content, don’t necessarily pass it by. I mean, what’s more fun than writing about a zoo?

Stop writing

Freelancers might get a searing pain behind their left eye at the thought of stepping away from their work, but sometimes it’s necessary. Depending on your workload, leave your work aside and take advantage of the fact that you are your own boss! Take a class in something. Have a long lunch with a friend. Go on an impromptu day trip. This is the perfect time to get something out of that amazing work/life balance you have working from home!

(Image courtesy of stock.xchng user matthains)

Tags: freelancing

Category: Freelance Writing