Building a successful career as a freelancer or small business owner is hard work.

Most of us have to persevere through a boatload of stress, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, etc...

The struggle is real.

While time management techniques, confidence-boosting negotiation tactics, and a mindset for success all play an important role in your career development, today we want to share with you a few nuggets of wisdom that you might not expect from a business blog.

That's because it's the kind of advice that comes from grandma...

Are You Eating Enough?

Freelancing and running your own business can really drain you.

Some days you just feel like you've hit a wall and couldn't possibly get any more work done.

Can't... keep... working....

While not being 100% all day every day is totally normal, it can cause undue stress when you've got a looming deadline or worse, when you've got no work coming in and you feel like you can't possibly take a break with no paying projects on your plate.

When that's the case, many of us focus on the stress and assume the answer to our problem must be related to stress management.

If we're not careful, we can even start telling ourselves stories about how we're "not cut out for this" or "just not good enough".

The problem, however, may not be psychological but physiological.

Snack Time

Have you ever felt tired, sluggish, or foggy after eating a big meal?

Perhaps you've noticed a considerable decline in your mood when you're hungry?

We all know how food can affect the way we feel.

And yet many of us don't make the connection between food and our energy levels/mental performance.

Gotta get that green stuff.

Not eating enough or eating food low in nutritional value leaves your brain and body starved for the nutrients it needs to perform at peak levels for prolonged periods of time.

You might not connect what you put on your plate for dinner with your work, but you should.

There are lots of studies showing how poor diet is connected to low energy, poor performance, increased risk of depression, etc...

We're not here to be your personal health coach, but if you find you don't have the energy to make it through the workday, maybe you just need a snack.

Yes, a snack. No, not like this.

One tip is to keep a stash of nuts around your desk for when you feel a little low.

It's a quick and healthy way to inject your system with a little boost of energy when the tank is empty.

Try placing a healthy snack at your desk and see if that can help you beat the blues the next time you are feeling tired.

If you still have energy issues, maybe try switching up your breakfast or lunch routine.

When your body doesn't have the right input, the output will be equally poor.

As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out".

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Maybe You Should Get Some Rest

It probably comes as no surprise to you that sleep supports nearly every system in our body.

The rejuvenation provided by sleep is vital to our ability to think clearly, learn new information, and manage our emotions.

In fact, it has been proven that driving while drowsy is as dangerous as driving drunk.

None of us would get behind the wheel after drinking, so why would we show up to work on our business in an equally precarious state?

Natural Sleep Cycle or Sleep Deprivation?

We've all heard of early birds and night owls.

Some people really do enjoy their best hours of mental performance in the middle of the night or after getting up at 5AM.

Whatever your particular routine may be or the amount of sleep you need to function well, it's important to simply be honest with yourself about what works for you and what doesn't.

In some circles, it's become kind of a weird flex to brag about how late you were working, as if being useless and accomplishing little at your desk for 16 hours is better than getting a solid 6-8 hours of productive work in and enjoying the rest of your day.

Don't fall for that stuff. That's not cool.

Good for you...? I guess...?

Many of us are also totally out of wack with our natural sleeping rhythm because of the light-producing activities we enjoy late into the night without noticing how tired we get.

If you want to combat issues with your sleep, there are two things you can implement right now that will probably help:

1 | Wake up at the same time every day.

Going to sleep at the same time every night is difficult.

Depending on how active you were during the day, you may or may not be tired at the same time in the evening nor will you need the same amount of sleep to recuperate from each day's work.

When you wake up consistently at the same time, however, your body starts to understand that rhythm and it will be better prepared to give you signals in the evening to tell you when you need to rest in order to start the next day at the same time as usual.

2 | Turn off the electronics

We know you've heard this before, but that artificial light is totally screwing with your brain.

The world has become increasingly more digital and we all know how hard it can be to get away from our devices sometimes.

Here's a simple trick:

When you feel a little tired or find yourself yawning in the evening, turn off the phone or computer screen and relax your eyes for a few minutes.

That little break from the light (especially when it's a light you're holding right in front of your face; hello smartphone) is often enough for your body to hit me with those heavy nighttime signals when you're truly tired.

If you don't feel an overwhelming desire to run to bed, let yourself continue whatever you was doing.

Personally, we are huge fan of reading some good fiction before bed to relax our eyes after a day full of screen time and let our brains wind down before turning in for the night.

But you know... you do you.

A nice read with teddy and then it's off to dreamland.

Go Play Outside With Your Friends

Another plague of being a freelancer and running your own business is its tendency to completely envelope your life.

Especially when things are difficult, many of us default to "I just need to work more" mode and let everything else fall by the wayside.

"Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life."

Dolly Parton

We understand that burning desire to make your business work and the feeling of wanting to give it your all to achieve that goal.

It's ironic therefore to consider that ignoring your social life and locking yourself inside all day actually leads to less productivity and worse work outcomes.

Recharge Your Battery

Working long hours tends to reduce your level of fitness, play havoc with your diet, and put stress on your mind and body.

And loneliness and social isolation are linked to poorer health, depression, and increased risk of early death.

Scary stuff, we know.

For your short-term work performance and long-term well-being, you must stay active and connect with people.

Are we suggesting you start running marathons and become a extroverted socialite?

No.

What we're suggesting is that if those extra hours at work keep you from hitting at least the minimum criteria for fitness and stimulating social activity, you're actually reducing your chances for success, not increasing them.

Many freelancers will always find a way to slip back into work mode if they don't check themselves.

If that sounds like you, try this simple trick:

Put fitness and social time on the calendar.

Whether it's dinner with a friend on the weekend or a morning yoga session every Tuesday & Thursday, putting things in the calendar somehow always seems to make the commitment more serious.

If that works for you, cool.

Otherwise, try out other methods until you find the best solution for your life.

Takeaway

Everybody knows that grandma knows best.

And it turns out all that tried-and-true advice can be supported by solid scientific research.

Since the freelancing community is in many ways like a family to us, we hope you enjoy the familial metaphors we've used in this post.

As we've mentioned before, your life and work are not separate entities.

The choices you make in one affect the other.

A holistic approach to all aspects of your business and personal plans is the best way to achieve your goals and build the kind of life you want for yourself.

Now go grab a snack, take a nap, or maybe phone a friend.

It just might be the boost you need to make your business stronger than ever before!

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