When you are living with a mental disorder, it is hard to find a regular job and sustain it. I was fired many times because of being late to work. Not like 10 minutes late, I’m talking about 5 hours late. Even worse, I remember not being able to leave my bed for two weeks that naturally caused me my well-paying job.
After changing so many jobs, I decided to quit Starbucks eventually once and for all, and start my path as a freelancer. It is exciting and scary at the same time. And if I play my cards right, it has the possibility to provide much more than other jobs. That being said, there are also downsides of freelancing which might cause bigger trouble than regular jobs. Let’s take a look at advantages and disadvantages of freelancing.
1- Time Control
You are the master of your time. Most of the time at least. You can decide when to wake up, when to start working and when to take a break. When you are struggling with depression or another mental disorder, this helps a lot.
But this leads to a comfort zone. When you feel too much in comfort, you might neglect your work and start sleeping. I have freelance clients waiting for their jobs to be done and I keep avoiding until I can’t anymore. Neglecting, procrastinating and avoiding will add up to your anxiety and your brain might stop functioning properly.
This is why I try to live out of my comfort zone. My home is where I feel safe so I have to leave it to work better. I often go to libraries or cafes to work. Find a place that you can work better and find alternatives. Because after a while that place might become too comfortable for you.
2- Having to Deal with Less People
Dealing with people was one of the most stressing things for me. I worked as a bartender, barista, graphic designer, and many others. Talking with random people is not my best characteristics. When I decided to go freelance, this was one of the biggest advantages for me.
For weeks, I haven’t talked to anyone other than my family or my shrink. I use e-mails to contact clients and live happily ever after. But in the end, humans are social animals. I need to talk to someone.
There is the advantage of freelancing. You can decide when and who to talk to. When I feel like talking to someone I just visit a friend. In fact, I only have one friend. I believe that’s enough.
3- Money Issues
Money is the reason we all work. When you work freelance, you need to adjust your budget accordingly. If you don’t , you might end up bankrupt. This is a serious issue indeed. You have to check tax regulations and other elements.
Having to control so many things together, also contributes to my anxiety. But the biggest downside of freelancing is that you never know when your next client will come. Say, I need $300 more to hit the balance for this month, it can happen today or it can happen the last day of the month. You never know. So there are a lot of things to worry about when you are freelancing. It’s not as comfortable as just getting your money on the bank like a regular job.
What do you think? What other advantages/disadvantages might freelancing have?
What should I do? What do you do when you feel depressed or anxious or BOTH?
TLDR: what book(s) have you found helpful in dealing with depression? 
You have to Really Want To
When the going gets tough, take care of you.
