Tag: Lifestyle

Posted on

Surviving Burnout as a Freelancer

a stressed woman lying on a bed beside cellphones and a laptop

If you are a freelancer, you already know what I am going to say

I’ve been a freelancer for a few years now and have gone through periods of time where I feel burnt out, so I decided to see what are the common side effects of burnout and how to prevent. Upon finishing my research, I found a number of things that were alarming but, ways to ease burnout and try to find a balance between work and having a personal life.

Burnout is a real risk.

Burnout is a real risk. As a freelancer, you don’t have an employer to support your mental health by offering paid time off and free snacks in the office kitchen. If you don’t take care of your mental health, burnout will happen.

Burnout isn’t just about work; it’s also about life in general. You may feel like your workload is too much, but that might not be the main problem—it could be something else entirely!

If you are feeling burned out on projects or clients in general, it can lead to depression and other health issues. It’s important to identify these issues before they become serious problems for both yourself and those around you so that everyone can get some relief from stress and anxiety.

You’re only human and you have limits.

You’re only human, and you have limits. It’s important to recognize the fact that you can’t do everything, and that sometimes you’ll have to say no to things.

You need to put yourself first, too. If you don’t take care of yourself and your mental health, it’s very difficult for anyone else around you to do so either! Take breaks when possible; this includes lunch breaks, coffee breaks (vital!), as well as longer vacations from time-to-time (maybe even every once in a while). Set boundaries on how much work is too much for one day—and stick with them!

It’s not all about work.

The first thing to do when you’re burned out is to take a step back. This can be difficult if you feel like your job is your life, but it’s important to remember that there are other things in your life worth investing time in. You should take time off from work, make sure to relax and recharge, and try not to let work stress you out too much. If you have trouble doing this because of the nature of your freelancing business (for example, if clients need immediate responses), consider hiring someone part-time who can handle inquiries while you’re away.

If this sounds like an impossible task for people who have been freelancing for years or even decades on their own—if they’ve never taken vacations before—then consider whether it might be time for some new career goals. It might be time to switch careers altogether or change up how much time and energy goes into each job or client relationship.

Make time for yourself and your loved ones.

One of the best things you can do is make sure you’re taking time to recharge yourself. Don’t feel guilty about taking a holiday or spending some money on yourself, including going to see your friends and family.

There is no greater reminder that we are human than when we forget what it feels like to be in touch with our own humanity again. So take care of yourself!

Taking care of yourself will help you be a better freelancer.

As a freelancer, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle. But you’re only human and have limits! It’s important to take care of yourself so that you can stay productive and have a positive impact on your clients’ businesses.

Take vacations and breaks from work, even if it means working less for a period of time. If you’ve been working non-stop on a project for months on end, consider taking some time off from freelance work until you feel rested again. (And don’t be afraid to ask for help!) In addition to getting away from your desk every now and then, make sure that there are other things going on in your life outside of work as well—it doesn’t mean giving up all social activities; just find one or two nights out per week where friends are more important than staying at home working late into the night.”

Let this be a lesson

I’ve been there, and I know how hard it can be to find the balance. But here’s the thing: if you’re going to be a freelancer for any length of time, you need to protect yourself from burnout. It’s not just about getting work done—it’s about being able to sustain your business over time and avoid ending up with all your eggs in one basket. You have to be willing to put yourself first sometimes so that you can maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep doing what matters most to you as an individual. If you don’t do this, then it won’t matter how much money or success comes your way because eventually something will break down underneath all those pressures until there’s nothing left but ashes.

Posted on

The Business Mindset Evaluation: If You Answer Yes to Most of These 6 Questions, You are Ready to Start a Business!

asian woman with photo camera in hand

Recently in the United States, a record breaking 4.4 million new businesses registered in late 2021. With this, we can conclude that we will see more people taking the risk, leaving the rat race and starting a path all their own that may inspire others. This now begs the questions, how do you know that you are ready to take those risks and make your own income? How do you know you have the mindset to begin this journey? If you can answer yes to most of these questions then you are definitely ready to take the leap of faith. 

  1. Are you comfortable with failure?

A huge roadblock for many people is the possibility of failing at an endeavor and feeling like there is no point if you can’t get it right. People who take the road of building a business or their own income, tend to see failure as the next step towards success. Trial and error are key components to making your own business. Because each business is unique in its own shape or form, people are the scientists behind their success, constantly making hypotheses and learning from mistake after mistake until they get it right. 

  1. Do you consider yourself a creative person?

One of the fun parts of running a business is being able to adjust solutions according to the situation. Need to make a logo? Work with a designer or learn to use Canva? Need to organize your finances, use Bill.com or Quickbooks? Working in the business of digital products, where do you expand? Managing online business? Make content about mindfulness? You are constantly thinking about what will be your next big idea to expand from where you are. Being able to know where you are and the different avenues you can go down are essential to make sure your business can survive for the next few years. 

  1. Do you mind working for free?

This is the most difficult one for myself as well but, is a hard truth that must be told to many looking to travel down this path. There are days and nights when you may be coming up with ideas or trying to make sure everything goes well when you launch a new product or service. It may be hours of editing or running around getting supplies to get things done for a deadline that you have created for yourself. Mind you all the free work that you are doing will pay off but instant results are never guaranteed so this is another key feature of being able to handle the business world in general. 

  1. Do you have a passion for the things you are interested in expanding on?

To avoid doing something that you do not enjoy, it is best to make sure you honestly love the field that you are pursuing. Why bother working on a fitness brand when you enjoy working out but don’t enjoy making videos or answering questions about the matter. Hobbies are hobbies, we do them because we enjoy them but do not always see them as a career interest. To be passionate, you must be interested in talking for hours about the subject, the different ways it can tie into other fields, and the future of this particular topic. Anything goes and ranges from pursuing a cooking career and brand to a prepping career and brand, just be passionate and know your niche. 

  1. Are you a patient person?

Patience is key in order for you to achieve the success that you are setting to have under your own business. It takes YEARS to see the results that you want, most people want to see their active and passive income equate to 6 figures within a few months and when that doesn’t happen, most people quit. The slow climb is what makes starting your own business or building your income worth wild. If waiting quite some time to get your business where it wants to be is something you are mentally prepared for, you should be fine!

  1. Are you comfortable risking your own money?

This step usually determines the breaking point for some people. Another unfortunate truth for most but not all because in this day and age, crowd funding is very possible but, it does take time away from possibly saving up your own money to move forward with your endeavors. You are looking to invest a good portion of your income that could have been spent on eating out, going out drinking, or attending a concert to pursue your dreams. Tie into the fact that you have to do work for free sometimes, wait for results, and learn from mistakes; it’s understandable why people are hesitant to take this path. 

The reward of working for yourself and pursuing your dreams by starting that business does make all these sacrifices worth it if you truly want it and believe in yourself. Your own hours, different avenues to explore, more control over your life; from my perspective, it would be personally hard to go back to the corporate world. I will end with a final note in that it is not a bad thing to not want to start a business and do other things. We are all unique and different so the concept of what will make us happy varies from person to person. Don’t be afraid to take risks but, don’t be afraid to say this is not for me :).

Posted on

Success Matured Me, Entitlement Kept Me Juvenile

woman in red dress climbing the stairs

Inspired in part by Karine Alourde & Troyce TV

We all fall into the pattern of going to school, doing well in school, getting a scholarship to a great university, and finding your dream job and then living happily ever after… This saturated fantasy is complete bullsh*t. Pardon my language, but, this was the dream sold to myself and my generation. While most followed it, no one studied the subject that they really enjoyed and no one got their dream job. We wake up and realize how unhappy we are and how we didn’t achieve the things that we thought we would… or so that is what is easiest to think about. I broke away from this mindset during the pandemic and realized that although I wish I could have done some things differently in my educational career; I have control over everything I want to do now and I can pave my way to success and not follow the standard formula. 

When I was getting close to graduating university, I was worried that this was the last big moment of success because once I finished school, I knew that I would have to start looking for a serious job… But I kept wondering if that was it. Was this the last big personal milestone? I knew that there were many things that I wanted to do like write a book, run my own company, expand myself creatively but, with the reality of how difficult it is to do all of this on your own without having a lot of money accessible. That’s what I believed until I was offered the chance to write my own book from a close friend who decided to open up their own publishing company. While this was an exciting new challenge and experience, it was going to cost me time and money but, I knew I had a story to share. It took 7 months of working extra hours at my job and hours of editing and translating from English to Spanish; it was some of the most stressful work that I had done since graduating but it was all worth it. By the end of those turbulent 7 months, I could officially say that I was a published author not just because I published my own book but, I went through the ups and downs to get there. There were moments that I thought this could really open so many doors for me and there were moments that I wanted to pull the plug on the whole book. But, I managed to get through and learn along the way how to publish a book and I can’t wait for the next project to come out to show my maturity and growth; learning from previous mistakes that I had made. What is disappointing is that many people do not know or understand this feeling.

To do something and achieve some kind of success, it takes time and dedication. We all went to university so that kind of success fades when you know that everyone did it and you feel less special due to the circumstances. After graduating, many people just work a job and enjoy their vices to hide their disappointment instead of saying “Hey! You know what? I am going to learn how to publish a book! I am going to learn to open up a business! I am going to learn how to speak French and move to France!” Instead, I often hear people complain about how they don’t have opportunities thrown at them or how they deserve opportunities because they did everything “correctly.” The truth is that there is no correct way of doing everything and that’s probably the scariest thing. With no clear definition of what is considered to be success, it is on the person to determine what is successful to them. Whining about how other people are doing things that you want to do whether it be opening up a business, running a YouTube channel, or whatever it may be will not get you anywhere because it takes hard work to get there. It may take weeks, months, or years of understanding a concept to get a step closer to being successful at whatever you are doing. However, in this day and age of instant gratification, why waste our time doing that when we have social media or dating apps to help? Or the help of our parents for that matter for those who were lucky to have parents pay for most of their ambitions. It takes someone having the balls to say that they are going to try something new and see if they succeed or not.

I am in no way saying that I am an insanely successful author, far from the point. But, I do feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that I am capable of doing such a thing and am able to connect with others who have taken this risk as well. There is no reason to not pursue the dreams that you once had before you went to university or started working because no one is going to hold your hand and tell you what to do all the time. It takes a degree of maturity and ambition to become your own teacher and only an unhealthy pattern of complaining and self-indulgent behaviors remain a juvenile child. 

Posted on

Superbia

man in white crew neck top reaching for the like

The Dopamine Don’t Hit Right

Elements inspired by Tick Tick… Boom

Ive been using again 

I can’t help it

But, I know I shouldn’t 

Every now and then 

When I take it, I can forget every little thing

My failures that feel like a sting 

The emptiness of a one night fling 

But then, I forget the happy affairs 

The light in my heart knowing someone cares

The wave of calm I feel knowing someone is there

It gets hard to tell what is real or not after a while

All the fake love, all the fake smiles

It feels so good, even though I look like a villain 

How can you deny the love of millions?

How can you deny the praise of brilliance?

I keep going back again and again 

Till eventually, I don’t know what’s real in the end

Posted on

Jeremy Bearimy

clear hour glass on frame

Inspired by The Good Place

I run and run and cannot be stopped

I am something you cannot buy

I am something that cannot be taught 

I am difficult to measure 

Seen as a hidden treasure 

But to have more of me is always a pleasure 

No one can own me

Despite the many that plea

I am always and forever free

I am the most precious thing to humanity

They do not understand my prime 

For I am everyone’s time

Posted on

Utopia: Explained

Photo from Unsplash by Andrey Andreyev

Let us start with an exercise: First, you must close your eyes and clear your head of everything (very similar to meditation). Second, I want you to picture the most peaceful setting on the planet, it may be the mountains, a plain, a small town, or even a big city. Third, I want to think of the people in this peaceful place, how are they interacting with each other? How are they grouped? What are they talking about?. Fourth, I want you to think of outside factors, such as entertainment, social media, and political entities; how are they operating in a peaceful setting? Last, take everything that you just pictured and throw it all away.

For those who were not expecting the last part, I wanted you to imagine a perfect world for just a moment but to also realize that it was all in your head. There is nothing wrong with having a strong desire to have a perfect world, but, the truth is that we do not live in a world that can ever be perfect for everybody. There will always be dissatisfaction to some degree whether it be “The sky is too blue”, “These people chew too loud”, or “I want more money but don’t want to put in the work to get it.” It can very much go back to the classic Yin and Yang that is used in various forms of ancient Chinese philosophy. The idea that opposing forces must exist in some form of duality with one another; peace cannot exist without chaos, love cannot exist without hate, and light cannot exist without darkness. To put it simply, everything that exists in our world will always have an opposite even if you narrow it down to the smallest details. So, why did I title this Utopia: Explained?

Truthfully, I believe that anyone can create their ideal world and life if they really put their minds to it. You do not need to make the world perfect for EVERYONE, you need to make YOUR world perfect for yourself. Sounds a bit selfish? Let me ask you this, do you think everyone in this world cares if you disappeared or if something bad happens to you? Unfortunately, the answer is no but, that is perfectly fine. You were not born to please everyone but, you can however; please those who see the value in you as a person. You do not need a million people to love you, just a few. You do not need a fancy car or a mansion, you just need a simple house or apartment where you can bring the people who matter in your life into your world. The people who are there, the space you make for yourself, and the outside world you choose to surround yourself in whether it be a rural area or a big city, that is the utopia that you have been searching for.

Speaking for myself, I can honestly say that I have 2 or 3 friends that I can genuinely trust, I have family in my life that is encouraging and not toxic, and I WILL live in a place where I feel at peace (not there yet since moving is expensive). I stopped talking to people who cause problems in their own life, people who criticize my endeavors, and go places that make me feel at peace instead of in a mist of chaos AKA clubs, music festivals, etc. Not against the concept but, having been there and done that, I have no interest in that atmosphere anymore. Once you realize that the utopia you are so desperate to create is in your hands rather than tossing the ball to another person to get their input, only then can you truly live in that paradise that you dream to be at. 

Food for thought. 

Posted on

The Starving Creative

Photo from Unsplash by Austin Chan

This needs to be said; we are living in a day and age where we have no creativity, no originality, we are living in a day and age where creatives are being rejected if they do not spew the same propaganda. Its is usually, same story, different character, and that is it. Do not get me wrong, it is amazing to see people of different backgrounds on tv, in movies, and in books; however, we are solely relying on obvious features of a person to connect with them rather than, uniquely distinct character traits that makes anyone special.

We went from creating things like The Matrix, Gattaca, Black Swan, and other incredible movies and books alike to repeating the same messages of doom and gloom whether it be a constant reminder of how different you are or how you need to be scared at every waking minute because you can die. That is not what a creative is, that’s what a propagandist is. The exact definition coming from the dictionary is “a person who promotes or publicizes a particular organization or cause (Oxford Languages)”. We have seen this in the classic sense of newspaper and magazine cartoons which is completely fine but, with recent world events we see it in every part of our lives. We need people to come forward and start seeing worlds and ideas that are beyond our known reality. You know what happens when you do that? You are able to create culture, you are able to bring people together, and you become a great contribution that mankind can look back on and still talk about.

Some of the most incredible creators such as Prince, Selena, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Marilyn Monroe, Sade, and so many others that I cannot think of at the moment have left a mark in society that new creators can come back to for inspiration. Now everything is just a simple reboot, reboot, reboot. Why? Because it is easier to just use concepts that have been used before and just adjust them to modern day standards. I am so bored seeing the same things, how many times can you remake something? People are being sedated in a sense with this mediocracy, giving them the same pill just a different color. I must say and do apologize to my young audiences, F**K THAT!

Frankly, I am going to create the things that I want and explore the things that I find fascinating like different personality types, space, adventure and make something original, make something fun!

If you are someone with a new creative idea or concept, I am telling you now, go for it! You have nothing to lose, we are living in an age where any dream is possible, mind you it is hard work like no other but, I would not be writing this to you if I did not believe you could do it. You want to make a comic book? Watch videos, contact people who have done it, and work hard like no other. The same goes for singers, download BandLab and get to work, if you are an artist, learn how to expand and go outside of your comfort zone for inspiration. Go back to the Golden Ages of creativity, because it starts with people having the balls to form our interpretations of the world around us. I may not know you but, I believe in you, be brave! Because you know what happens when you are brave, you bring hope, that hope is shown through your work, and when you create something that is inspiring, you are able to heal the world of despair by giving them a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Creativity is the cure to stale tasting world.

Photo from Unsplash by Bamagal