The pros and cons of self-employed st... - Mental Health Sup...

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The pros and cons of self-employed status when you are depressed.

villeneuve1979 profile image
4 Replies

Hi everybody, i am a long-standing member, on this forum, but haven't posted or contributed to a discussion for for some time. I am a 42 year old self-employed Tennis Coach. Whilst I am passionate about tennis and teaching, I am very anxious about sustaining and maintaining the energy levels required to get through long coaching days as I am dealing with partial symptom depression. I have been experiencing depression since the age of 20.Typically during term-time, I may have up to 45 hours. I only get paid for the hours I deliver on court and there is the requirement to keep to that amount so that I can meet all my financial obligations. The opportunities and demand for my services are there, but i worry about the impact of those long hours on me emotionally but more so if I miss any coaching. I do have some flexibility in prioritising and deciding upon how much work I do, but in reality I have to squirrel way as many nuts as I can to tide me over for the winter months, when my hours are down as you might expect. At some point I will need to diversify within the industry as I can't do long hours on court indefinitely. I'd be interested to explore this subject on dealing with depression and self-employment and wondered what experiences members have had both good and bad. Ultimately, I'm pretty sure I couldn't hold down a job as an employed status individual anyway. Id miss too many days due to depression.

I hope the sun is shinning in which ever part of the country you are in.

Damian

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villeneuve1979 profile image
villeneuve1979
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4 Replies
Stilltrying_ profile image
Stilltrying_

Hello Damian and nice to hear from you. I don't have any experience with self employment but I do do some voluntary work and find for me the flexibility of that is essential. I do not do anything like the hours that you do so we are on different playing fields or should I say "courts" (LOL) in that respect. However it sounds to me like the flexibility is working for you in your self employed status. Is there something you could do to supplement a little in the summer months, something part-time like working in a bar at a sports club or a sports shop or even something like leaflet distribution or delivering directories?The last two are not well paid but the benefit is you can do them when you are feeling up to it as you are usually just given a certain amount of time to deliver them in. Or how about betterware which is a catalogue you deliver and then people order and you deliver the items getting a small commission. Don't know if you're in sufficiently urban an environment so ignore if not applicable.

Sun was shining here in the Midlands earlier but its since gone in ! Gemmalouise

Suzie40 profile image
Suzie40

Hi Damian

I am a school teacher, and although that's a fairly well paid job, I'm also a single parent with a mortgage to pay. For this reason I do private tutoring to supplement my income. One of the things I find the hardest is making arrangements with parents, then feeling too low to see them through. It's not fair to keep cancelling, but it's also not fair do deliver a session of poor quality. Then I feel guilty, which makes me anxious and ultimately more depressed. Also, the money is not guaranteed. If the children are not well, or at a party, the parents cancel. Up until now, I've not asked for a retainer of part payment if they cancel, but it's something I might have to consider, as I have a waiting list of pupils wanting tuition. All in all, I find the whole process quite stressful, which obviously contributes to my depression. I feel your pain.

Lucy x

villeneuve1979 profile image
villeneuve1979

Hi Lucy,Thank you so much for your understanding and thought provoking reply. It is refreshing indeed to hear the concerns of another in a similar related situation. I echo and experience a lot of what you go through!

I worry about the quality of the services that I provide, and it is often difficult to be objective about my performance, clients want coaching for so many reasons and the bottom line is if they keep coming back I can't be doing too much wrong. It is impossible sometimes to arrive at the precise reasons why people decide to prioritise coaching,and therefore you don't know why they stop either, in most situations it is unlikely to be

because of me, but more likely an external factor.

I resonate with your point about having to carry on working when ideally you would prioritise your health and therefore other people think you are fine. We have little choice do we? My problem is striking a balance between needing to 'make hay whilst the sun shines, if it shines during the peak Spring & Summer months and having more work in the autumn and winter. Also I want to enjoy myself see people and indulge in other activities, but all my weekends are taken up, at this time of the year and for the most part spent coaching children. Anyway first session of the day coming up - breakfast tennis club in the worlds smallest primary school playground.

Have a good day! Find some time for yourself if you can and Njoy, we deserve it !

Damian

aye_may profile image
aye_may

Hi Damian,

just want to share my situation. more than a year ago i used to work on average 50hours per week, partially self-employed. had two depression breakdown within last year, wasted my back too. at the moment i work almost 20hours and hardly coping... i do have all the problems Lucy mentioned and as so far i don't see myself getting better i'm considering to apply for benefits. at the same time as already feeling down and not confident i have no encourage to do it so. it's hard. i really try to avoid thoughts about future. there are 20 years ahead to work; how it's gonna be?

Best wishes,

A.

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