Work regular hours
Part of the joy of being your own boss is that you can set your own schedule. Want to work weekends? Do it. Want to take a Tuesday off? Nothing’s stopping you.
And I’m not saying you shouldn’t flex your schedule like that. But in the main, I recommend that you set boundaries around your work hours.
I’m a morning person (yes, I’m one of those irritating early birds.) I take an early walk and am at my desk by 6:30 am, and I work until 11:30 am. Then I take a couple of hours off. I eat lunch, I go for a run, I take a nap. Then I go back to work for the rest of the afternoon, and then I’m done.
I’m not saying you should adopt that schedule; I’m saying you should listen to your own rhythms of productivity and carve out something regular and sustainable. Turn it into a habit. Prioritize staying sane.
Don’t reward your clients for overstepping boundaries
If the client sends you an email at 8 pm, ignore it. (Unless you work in emergency communications, of course.) Or, if you choose to respond to it, schedule it to send the next morning at 8 am. Train them to email you at a reasonable hour. You are not their servant and you are not at their beck and call. Staying sane is more important.
Turn your work phone off after hours.
Of course, you may choose to work evenings, if that’s productive for you. But if that’s the case, work privately. Get things done. Don’t be distracted by your client pinging you for something at that hour that could easily wait until the next day.
Avoid unnecessary meetings
If they invite you to random meetings without a clear agenda, politely decline. “I don’t really see myself in this agenda, so I’ll sit this one out, thanks.” You can do that now; you’re not their employee. Ideally, you’ve already addressed how many meetings you think are necessary in your methodology.
Get exercise every day
I took up jogging during my noon hours back when I was a civil servant in an office building. One day I looked around at all these sad, pasty-faced people eating at their desks, donating their lunch hours to their employer, and I got the hell out. Honestly it became the highlight of my day.
So now that I freelance, I maintain the same discipline. I do a lot of my brain work in the morning, so that by noon, I’m ready to get out into the fresh air. I love it.
I’m not saying you should take up jogging. God no. I’m saying you should work some exercise and some fresh air into your day. It will do wonders for your world view. It may be the simplest and most effective habit you develop to stay sane.
Staying sane for nerds: Have a budget for professional development
Go to conferences. Take Zoom classes. Visit people and organizations you admire and learn how they do things. Spend a little money on this.
Not only will it make you a better professional, it will get you out and about and having fun.
Staying sane for extraverts: Be sociable
If you’re an extravert, schedule regular Zoom happy hours or coffee breaks with your colleagues around the world. Make a point of surrounding yourself with people you like—people who motivate and inspire you. Freelancing can be lonely sometimes—make a point of inviting good people into your world from time to time.