Why some freelancers feel guilty about not working – 07/07/2023 – Market

For many people, a big advantage of being self-employed is having control over their own time management.

Often, however, that same freedom brings the feeling of guilt for the time spent not working – the leisure time that self-employed professionals, theoretically, could use to earn money.

The result is that the self-employed can be prone to extending work hours and relaxing the boundaries between work and personal life, with the permanent feeling that they are never doing enough.

I know from experience. As I write this, I can hear my family outside enjoying the spring sunshine on a long weekend in Vermont, USA.

Today is Saturday, and to reduce my guilt over not having opened my computer for the past two days, I’m in the passenger seat of our van, working.

I’ve been a full-time freelance journalist since moving to rural Pennsylvania (USA) in 2015. Working for myself has helped me earn more money doing rewarding work that I’m passionate about.

However, it also turned me into a workaholic., which causes me to extend work hours on weekends and delay my bedtime so I can tick off one more to-do list item

My guilt-ridden tendency to overwork is common among self-employed professionals.

Shannon Loys, 35, is a self-employed graphic designer based in North Carolina (USA). She says she feels more guilt when she does something pleasurable.

“It happens when you do something that doesn’t seem justifiable,” she says. “Something just for pleasure is probably the biggest trigger. I don’t feel guilt when I’m folding clothes; I do when I’m trying to pursue a hobby.”

This is a nagging feeling that can quickly ruin an enjoyable time for everyone.

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology demonstrated that viewing time dedicated to leisure activities as “waste” undermines the pleasure of these activities

An important part of being successful as your own boss is knowing the value of your hours. Guilt builds up, according to Loys, because when you spend time doing something without getting paid, you can’t help feeling like you’re losing money.

“You build your business knowing full well what your time is worth in money,” she explains. “It’s really hard to switch off when you move on to any other part of your life.”

“I knit, but I can’t remember the last time I picked up my knitting project because I could spend three hours knitting, but I also have full knowledge of how much money I could make in three hours,” she says. “Anytime you choose a hobby over work, you are deciding not to make money.”

One study has shown that while charging for your work time is the key to success, costing your off-hours can make that time not enjoyable.

Canadian researchers found that people who think all the time in terms of money are more impatient when using part of their time to do something that should be pleasurable. The result is that overwork and the consequent burnout of self-employed professionals can be a huge problem.

Of course, many professionals who work a steady, full-time job are also overworked.

March 2023 data from the North American research and debate center Pew Research Center show that many professionals do away with leisure time to work. The survey involved nearly 6,000 professionals in the US, including around 5,100 self-employed. It showed that 62% of people consider time off to be an important benefit at work, but in fact, about half take less time off than their employers allow.

When the increased amount of hours worked represents a direct increase in income, unlike most salaried employees, the balance between work and leisure is even more complicated.

“For self-employed professionals and freelancers, this pressure can be even more aggravated”, says career specialist Toni Frana, from the FlexJobs website. “Because they are often unable to depend on a steady income or are afraid of losing projects to potential competitors, it’s common to feel guilty when leaving work.”

Research demonstrates something that is perhaps not surprising: taking your mind off work has immense benefits for managing stress and improving mental health.

But, unfortunately for self-employed people, some of these professionals report that this is much easier said than done, which can be the catalyst for burnout.

A 2020 study, for example, demonstrated that freelancers are much more likely to suffer burnout than traditional employees.

Setting boundaries is an ongoing challenge for Loys. She often reminds herself, sometimes aloud, of the importance of taking time away from work.

“I actually say out loud to myself and my husband, ‘It’s okay to take a day off. It’s okay not to be working right now.’ I think I say it out loud because maybe one day I’ll really believe it,” she says.

None of this means that self-employment is all bad. Despite the long hours and stress of being their only source of income (and even despite burnout), there is data that shows that some self-employed professionals report higher levels of satisfaction and feel more fulfilled at work.

There are good reasons why many people continue to work this way, even though a traditional job may be easier in many ways.

However, many self-employed professionals will observe the irony of this paradox: working on your own time gives you freedom and flexibility, but leaves you unable to enjoy your free time if you try to use that time for anything other than work.

“Yes, you are your own boss,” comments Loys, “but you can be a terrible boss.”

This text was published here.