Nomadic Times contributor, Indiana Lee, shares her tips for helping digital nomads and freelancers maintain their health.

A Healthy Way to Work

In many ways, you’ve got the kind of job that most people only dream of. You get to be your own boss, make your own hours, and set your own salary. And you get to do your work from pretty much anywhere in the world. But freelancing isn’t all floppy-eared puppies and chocolate ice cream. It also comes with challenges, the most significant of which, perhaps, are the health risks that freelancing exposes you to.

Stress

Freelancing gives you an immense amount of flexibility in your working life, but with that flexibility also comes uncertainty. When you’re freelancing, you have no safety nets. There are usually no unemployment benefits and no health insurance coverage. And there’s no guarantee when, or even if, the next paying gig is going to come in. That can lead to a tremendous amount of stress. Significant, long-term stress then gives way to more problems from an increased risk of cardiovascular disease to higher rates of depression.

That’s why self-care is imperative when you’re under stress. Ensure that you’re getting adequate sleep and good nutrition. Focus on striking an effective work/life balance. Avoid the temptation of working all the time, and make sure that you build time for rest, relaxation, and, yes, time for fun into your daily routine. This is the only way, really, to avoid burnout when you’re taking your work with you wherever you may go.

Of course, it’s not always easy to practice self-care when you’re feeling worried and anxious all the time. Fortunately, there’s an app for that. In fact, there are many apps for that. You can download tools right to your smartphone or laptop that will help you connect with counselors in real-time or learn stress-relieving techniques, such as those taken from cognitive behavioral therapy, to help you stop worrying and practice mindfulness and gratitude instead.

Sedentarism

When you’re a freelancer, you might be working from home or on the road. But whether you’re working from a hotel room or from your own bedroom, you might find it hard to get out and be physically active. That’s going to increase your risk for obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes among a host of other ailments.

In fact, recent studies have shown that the so-called “sitting disease” is just as dangerous as smoking if not more so. Building daily exercise into your freelancing life can keep you healthy, strong, and working for years to come. Even a daily walk around the neighborhood can provide not only significant health benefits but can also help you fight that dreadful stress monster.

Isolation

We don’t usually think of isolation as a health risk but, in fact, loneliness is another of those states that can cause just as much harm as any cigarette. Unfortunately, however, when you’re a digital nomad, social isolation often seems like a part of the job description.

Working from home or while on the road doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to a life of loneliness. Making a concerted effort to step away from the computer screen and get out into the neighborhood to meet new people and connect with old friends will give you the emotional boost you need to face those lonely hours of solitary work.

Today’s technologies make it easier than ever to find your tribe no matter where you might be. If you have ever battled substance abuse, for example, or if you fear you might be slipping into addiction, social isolation is probably one of the most powerful triggers for a full-scale lapse into dependency.

You don’t have to choose between sobriety and your work. You can build a strong support system entirely online, helping you to combat the loneliness that can so easily lead to substance abuse. Best of all, having an online support group means that you get to carry your crew with you wherever you might go!

The Takeaway

No doubt about it: freelancing is nice work if you can get it. But as great a gig as it can be, it’s not without risks to both your physical and mental health. If you want to live a long and happy life as a freelancer, then it’s your job not just to deliver a phenomenal product to your clients, but also to take phenomenal care of yourself.

Copyright: All Images sourced from Pixabay

Author Bio

Indiana Lee has been a writer and journalist for almost a decade. Writing from the Pacific Northwest with a passion for covering business acumen, social justice, travel, scientific advancement, and more.

In her off time she enjoys cultivating plants, mountain biking, and exploring trails all over the world.

You can follow her work on Contently, or reach her at indianaleewrites@gmail.com.