Relaxation is key to being a freelancer. It’s very possible for you to end up in a perpetual state of alertness. If you’re one of those people still waking up in a sweat at 2 am wondering if you’ve sent that email reminder, then this is for you.
I actually come from a family of freelancers. It’s common for people in my family to have gone into freelancing as a way to do the things that they love. It gives you the freedom to exercise your skills even if you find getting into your industry is difficult. And it’s rewarding, my mother was a freelancer for 20 years, and even when she looks back on it, she yearns for that personal feeling of success you get as a freelancer.
My main relaxation techniques are basically a combination of two apps, the first is Headspace.
I think Headspace gets a bit of bad rap. It’s a great app with a huge amount of content for you to use. It might be that it’s more expensive or people find it less useful than some of its competitors. I didn’t find Headspace though, it was part of my social prescription from the NHS after I had a bout of mental illness. The funny thing about mental illness is that it’s always trying to convince you, you’re ok. Headspace made it clear to me that I definitely wasn’t fine. But not until far later on!
I’m a fan of Headspace because I still find it very difficult to switch off at night. Issues of social justice and writing rules constantly occur to me at 3 am making it impossible to shut off. A combination of meditations or just some sleep music is a useful way to help me sleep, process the day, and move on.
The second is Fiton
I was educated in a way where being active was mandatory. Not just in a PE class or anything, the preparation was for University, where you were supposed to do a sport of some kind. I made a mistake at University, choosing a sport that I had fond memories of from school but led to nothing but disappointment and grief at University.
When I went to study for my Masters, I took up Netball. I realised that a typical sport was good for me. I enjoyed working in a team that seemed to actually be interested in doing well. Even as a casual league, working towards being fitter and better at a sport, appealed to me.
Fit on is part of my love for Cross Fit. I actually combine the workouts with weights and cardio to produce some of my favourite combinations. Just working on something physical gives me a quick buzz of energy. It also allows me to track my workouts, so you can look back on a month or a year and see the progress you’ve made. When you’re feeling a bit guilty for taking time out. Fiton is there to remind you of how hard you’ve worked!
Copy & Content by Lola 