7 ways to overcome work stress and anxiety as a freelance copywriter.
Take a deep breath, friend.
Feeling the stress as a freelancer is never easy, but you’re not alone. Many of us go through phases where we feel anxious and burnt out.
But the good news is: stress is usually within your control as a freelancer.
If you’re feeling this way, it could be a sign to make a change to your systems, process, or mindset to allow for a more calm and aligned career. 🕊️
Sounds easier said than done? That’s why I’m going to walk you through it.
Freelancer Stress Is Common (But Doesn’t Have to Be)
Day one of starting your freelancing career is an immaculate feeling.
You feel light as a feather – with no boss to tell you what to do, no set hours you’re required to work, and all the control over your future.
The lack of structure is so freeing. But as you start to ramp up your freelance career, you may find yourself experiencing the same, or more, stress as your 9-5.
Maybe you’re up late at night, having anxious thoughts about…
Saying “yes” to too many projects at once and feeling overwhelmed.
A client interaction not going exactly as you planned.
Wondering where your next paid contract is going to come from.
When we decide to work for ourselves, we tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to do things perfectly. Perfectionism and overthinking commonly lead to stress.
And many times, stress is actually fear in disguise. This is why overcoming your fear and stress is essential before they start to hold you back.
6 Ways to Overcome (And Prevent) Freelancer Stress
Stress may feel all-consuming when you’re in the middle of a panic moment. The best thing to do is take a step back and reground yourself before taking action.
Not sure where to start? Here are six ways to overcome your fears and anxiety – in both the short term and over time.
- Take deep breaths.
A stressful situation triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response. This activates your sympathetic nervous system and releases stress hormones in your body. (Leading to the rapid heartbeat and sweats you feel.)1
The first step to getting out of this headspace is to take slow, deep breaths to regulate your nervous system. This brings you back into your body and helps you feel grounded.
It’s so much better to take actions from a calm, grounded place – instead of a stressed and reactive place. Taking breaths clears your mind and connects you back to your inner self.
- Assume the best-case outcome.
Our brains love to torture us by listing out all the things that could go wrong. But what if, instead, you asked yourself, “what if everything goes RIGHT?” Take time to visualize the best-case scenario.
For example, let’s say you have your first discovery call coming up, and you’re feeling very nervous. Take a few moments before the call to close your eyes and visualize everything going well.
You envision you and the client laughing together and clicking in your conversation. This primes you to approach the conversation with a positive mindset – which reduces stress and makes a positive outcome more likely!
- Feel your emotions.
The only thing worse than feeling stressed out is feeling ashamed about being stressed out. Maybe you’re telling yourself that your emotions aren’t valid, so you’re trying to suppress them.
Take it from me, friend. Your feelings need to be felt and heard, or they’re not going anywhere. The sooner you create space for your emotions, the sooner you release them and move forward.
Validating our own feelings is one of the highest forms of self-love. And doing so is essential to keep moving forward as a freelancer. It’s how you move past stressful situations instead of carrying them with you.
- Create a plan forward.
As important as it is to allow space for your emotions, I encourage you not to stay in that place. After you’ve had a good cry or taken the afternoon off, it’s time to think about what to change moving forward.
Because the stress we feel in our careers is always a sign to take a deeper look into your process, systems, or mindset. Perhaps this is a sign to raise your prices and take on less work. Or maybe you need to double down on mindset.
Although stress is hard, it ends up being positive when you use it as a guide toward creating more alignment in your career.
- Talk to a friend.
Voicing your stress and feelings out loud helps you release them. You may even realize how unnecessary your fears are when you say them out loud!
But sometimes, the situation you’re going through is truly tough to navigate on your own. Reaching out to someone who knows what you’re going through, like another freelancer or mentor, helps.
Someone in your field might offer you an objective perspective, help you problem solve, and simply be a partner to confide in.
- Create affirmations.
One of the best ways to combat your fears and anxiety is by including affirmations in your daily routine. Affirmations are statements that directly oppose your fears and instill confidence in you to move forward.
You don’t see the results of affirmations overnight. But over time, these statements have the power to reframe your confidence and release the fears that hold you back.
I attribute so much of my success as a 7-figure business owner to my affirmations and intentional mindset work.
The reality of being a freelancer is that fears and stress will come up on your journey. As you push yourself out of your comfort zone and expand to the next level, you naturally fear the unknown.
But when you have a plan in place to address stress, your fear and anxiety become less powerful. You release your stress faster and move forward with more ease.
On the other side of fear is the dream life that you set out to create as a freelancer. One that’s filled with freedom, fulfillment, and abundance.
How to Reduce Stress Through Mindset Work
Your mindset is one of your most important assets as a freelancer. The way you approach your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings either holds you back or slingshot you forward toward your goals.
But understanding your mindset and how to frame it is daunting to do alone.
That’s why we created Master Your Mindset. This course is the step-by-step path to first uncover your underlying fears and limiting beliefs. And then create the intentional affirmations, habits, and routines to reframe them.
So you can break through your fears and move forward with more ease, confidence – and joy along the way.
Sign up for Master Your Mindset here! 🧠🌱
Prefer to Watch?
Catch my Youtube video on how to calm your stress and fears as a freelancer. Subscribe here for more mindset and business tips to create an intentional freelancing career.
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