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One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a freelancer is what I love the most about the career path I have chosen. There are countless pros and cons of being a freelancer however ‘waking up naturally’ without having to be somewhere is the main positive in my life.
Since starting work I have always been a notoriously bad sleeper. The whole notion of having to be somewhere, preparing lunch and living by a clock meant I struggled to switch off and would wake up thinking about getting to work on time. Couple this with being a digital marketeer and numbers swirling in your head; well you get the picture!
Going freelance seemed to liberate me from this pressure. Granted I still have meetings and a loose schedule to adhere to but it’s very rare I have a sleepless night due to my mind preparing for the next day.
I remember times where I had to catch a train somewhere for work reasons or I had an important meeting the next day; I would lay awake counting the hours I had left to sleep thinking about how tired I would be in the morning.
As a freelancer I have chosen the type of clients I want to work with; the situations I am comfortable in; free of anxiety. Freelancing is a decision most make to better their work situations. Whether that’s commuting, the type of work you do, or your relationship with your work. It’s all part of why you chose to take your career away from the conventional and in a different direction.
For me this had led to better quality sleep. Sure I still wake ridiculously early (Writing this at 5am) however that is my natural body clock and what works for me. I have complete control of my career and ultimately the decisions I make. This has led to a more rounded wellbeing in all aspects of my life; including my sleep.
Tips for waking up naturally:
I’m sure everyone who owns their own business from time to time has had struggles shutting down. It’s natural that when you are apprehensive about something your brain is racing into overtime.
I still have those triggers. Consulting for clients as well as running my own educational business means there’s never a spare minute. As a result I have devised a couple of tips for making sure you maximise the chances of waking naturally as opposed to waking in the middle of the night and struggling to get back to sleep.
No phone in the room:
Leave your phone downstairs. I tend to wake quite often in the night and always had the urge to check the time. That big, bright screen instantly awakening my senses. My phone now sits downstairs on aeroplane mode. That way if I need to wake in the night and grab something for my daughter I don’t have the urge to check my phone!
Instead of now checking the time on a phone I now use a baby monitor. Those without children can just use an old fashioned clock! This really does reduce the urge to check emails or any other notifications you may have.
Don’t fully book yourself:
I’m a strong believer in never booking yourself to the max. Having a full schedule causes stress, anxiety and this can affect all aspects of your life; including sleep!
Charge clients enough, and live within your means. This way you can work less and still make what’s required. I only ever take on enough work to cover me for a specific % of the working days in every month. Not only do I require time for my educational business but also time to tune my knowledge, build my professional profile (blog, website content) and also spend time on chasing invoices/general admin.
Having to work every single day of the month and cramming in maintenance work around it is unsustainable. It’ll affect your health and wellbeing. The stress and anxiety of getting everything finished will affect your sleep too.
Work with the right clients:
In the past I have struggled to sleep because of the role I was in. Stress within the work environment over spilled to my home life and affected my sleep. I would be awake at 3am thinking about what I had to do the next day.
Since becoming freelance I have managed this by trying to choose the right clients to work with. From initial emails/telephone engagements it can be clear who is going to be good to deal with and who is in fact going to be a nightmare.
I’ve made a conscious effort to pass on individuals/companies who I feel would have impacted my quality of life and sleep. If companies becomes more difficult I have endeavoured to move them on in an amicable way.
I understand within the work environment stress to achieve results can happen, however if it becomes constant I try and eliminate the client before the stress impacts other areas of my life. These type of working conditions are also not conducive to achieving great results.
Schedule meetings later:
This only applies for face to face meetings and not Skype meetings which I would always try and schedule at the start or end of the day.
A face to face meeting first thing in the morning for me always results in a sleepless night. Will I get to the meeting on time? Have I prepared everything? The list goes on.
Scheduling this a tad later and having missed rush hour traffic allows for a more relaxed morning meaning and as a result a natural nights sleep the night before. Later meetings mean you can stick to your normal routine and wake without an alarm and still make the commitments of the meeting. For me personally this technique has worked incredibly well as I’m more relaxed the next morning knowing I have plenty of time to make the appointment. 10am-10:30am is my personal sweet spot for these meetings.
The web is packed full of great advice on sleep health however these are some really simple tips which can be applied to your freelance career. I personally went freelance to achieve a working environment where I can do my best work. To achieve this, sleep is a huge driver; one which without I would fail to reach these goals. Put these tips into place and aim to wake naturally everyday without the need for an alarm. It’s a hugely liberating feeling for those of us who have struggled with sleep in the past.