Very simply, your mental state is directly tied to the success of your career. If you are experiencing some problems in your personal life, then it is likely to drag your career as a freelancer down. Sometimes, I don’t feel like working because I’m stressed out, and when I try to force myself to work, it goes very slowly. It can turn a fun, great job into something you wake up and dread doing.

So, if you’re down in the dumps, what can you do to drag yourself out? Well, that’s easier said than done. However, I have some tips to keep you on track.

First off, try to stay busy. If you’re unable to find work, then work on your profile, portfolio, or something along those lines. I call it “pseudo-working,” and often people will ask me what I’m doing, and I’ll say, “I’m working…well, pseudo-working.” I’m doing things to improve my situation. It’s a lot like working on a project except you don’t get paid right now. If you have an awesome portfolio, profile, and you do things to acquire jobs which you really like, you will make more money and be happier in the long run.

Second, try this exercise. Figure out where you want your career to go, and figure out where you are at right now. On a sheet of paper, list your career goals on one side. On the other side, list the actions you are currently taking to pursue those goals. Then, on another sheet of paper, write down an ordered list of the steps you think you need to take to achieve your goals. Make it sequential and detailed.

Now, look at this information. On the first page, you can probably draw several lines between the things you’ve done and your goals. That’s encouraging because you know you’re well on your way to get where you want to be. If you don’t have a lot of items you can connect, then you have several items that you can add to the second sheet to work on.

With that second sheet, put it where you can see it and reference it often. Tape it up to the wall above your monitor. When you’re not actually working, you need to be pursuing those goals actively. The great part about it is that pseudo-working is less stressful, but it’s a vital part of maintaining a healthy career. Any time you feel lost, hopeless, and helpless when it comes to work, you can always look up at that list and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

You’re never helpless, so you have to help yourself. You can’t count on lucky breaks.

Another tactic to make yourself feel better is to help out other freelancers. When you assist another freelancer by giving them advice or referring a job to them, then you are building a network of colleagues who will return the favor and refer jobs to you. Also, the community support will keep you in good spirits when you’re working.

So, try to keep your chin up and your outlook positive because having a good attitude about work makes the day go so much easier.

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