10 Healthy Habits That Improved My Life As A Freelance Writer (And Can Help Yours Too)

Tips to avoid the dreaded burnout and write more high-quality articles

Freelance writing with unhealthy habits easily transforms into burnout.

Burnout is the absolute worst thing that can happen to a freelance writer. After all, freelance writing is our livelihood. If we don’t write, we don’t get paid. Then what? We end up broke and homeless, with no other choice but to accept a mundane 9–5 job.

And who wants that? Of course, many of you are freelancing on top of your day job, so you at least have something to fall back on. In your case, you’ll lose your Starbucks cash or your vacation fund. That’s not cool, either.

If you’re serious about freelance writing–the bottom line is–you need to adopt these ten healthy habits. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

1. Take Frequent Breaks

The biggest mistake a freelance writer can make is to sit at their desk for eight hours straight. While it may be tempting to zero in on your work and finish it all in one sitting, this is not ideal nor is it setting you up for success.

A freelance writer does their best work when they take the time to get up, move around, and come back to their desk with a new perspective.

Taking a warm shower in the middle of the day, going for a run, or grabbing a cup of coffee can be all it takes to change your perspective and improve the piece you’re working on (as well as enhance your mental health).

2. Write Somewhere New

Freelance writers have a huge advantage: They work alone. This means, unless your contract states otherwise, you’re not required to work with your door locked or in a room away from others. That’s why going somewhere new to write is a healthy habit for freelance writers to start adapting today.

As a small business owner or freelancer, consistency is important–but consistency for a writer doesn’t need to mean working in the same location every day.

It can mean going to the library, a coffee shop, or a mall with Wi-Fi access. Getting out in the community offers freelance writers the opportunity to take in a new perspective and, as writers, we love fresh outlooks to enhance our creativity.

3. Stay Well-Nourished

It’s easy as a writer to live on coffee and Dr. Pepper, however, this is not the best idea for a freelancer’s (or anyone’s) wellbeing. It may seem like common sense to adopt this healthy habit as a freelancer, but as we all know–common sense isn’t so common.

Freelance writers are often eager to get back to their desks because if they don’t work, they don’t get paid, so having quick, nourishing meals available is essential.

This can mean indulging in a healthy smoothie, meal-prepping for the week, or investing in a meal kit. Do whatever it takes to nourish your body to perform your best work in the best of health.

4. Do Something Active Before Writing

Before sitting down at your desk (or wherever you’re writing on any particular day), aim to do something active first thing in the morning. You may be tempted to sit down at your desk and start writing immediately because the morning creative juices are flowing right when you wake up.

However, if you’ve ever said, “I’ll take a walk later” and felt too tired when “later” came around, you understand why writing when you first wake up may prevent you from exercising. Instead of procrastinating your walk or fitness routine, do it when you first wake up.

Exercise stimulates happy endorphins, and you’ll have more time to think about what you’re writing, so you might even think of more great ideas to jot down after your workout.

5. Read Everything and Anything

One of my favorite quotes is a well-known piece of advice from author Stephen King: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

A freelance writer needs to devour everything in sight, including information on the latest industry writing trends.

Reading fills your brain with words, and these words transform into writing improvements.

Staying informed on industry trends instills confidence in your abilities to succeed as a freelance writer in the long term. This is one of the best healthy habits a freelance writer can adopt.

6. Write Something New

There’s a lot of pressure today to niche down, which is all fine and dandy, and you can certainly choose to tailor your focus on one niche. I find it’s easy to get tunnel vision when you write about the same topics every day.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write actively for different niches or try to source clients from different niches.

It can be as simple as writing in a journal at night or writing fiction. It’s good for a writer’s overall mental health to tap into different styles of writing, even if it’s only a few hundred words.

7. Take a Couple of Days Off

“Write every day,” they say, and all the best writers do, right? I’m here to tell you that writing 365 days a year, 7 days a week can be detrimental to your writing. Taking a day or two off isn’t going to set you back years.

There’s a difference between taking a weekend off and not writing for half a year (which destroys your routine and makes it impossible to get back).

I’ve found taking a couple of days off is exactly what I need when I get myself in a funk, and this is exactly why I find this a critical healthy habit for freelance writers to adopt.

That said, taking a couple of days off is not always easy. You can feel the pressure of a deadline looming, so I recommend taking your days off at least two days before the deadline.

There’s nothing worse than having a deadline and not being able to take the time off. Plan to take your much-needed break and hustle to meet your deadline after your break. I find it’s easier to finish a project after I’m well-rested.

By taking a couple of days off, you could turn an all-day project into half a day or even less. I’m not joking.

8. Power Nap

Contrary to what others may tell you, you’re not being lazy by taking a midday power nap as long as you remember to set an alarm. Lying down for a while rests the mind, so it’s a healthy habit for freelance writers to implement into their routine.

I always feel drowsy around two o’clock in the afternoon, and this is when I just want to lie down and rest my eyes.

Human eyes aren’t conditioned to stare at a screen all day, so close them for 30 minutes or an hour. You’ll be happy you did.

I’m able to get more accomplished from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. if I take a power nap than I can from 2 to 4:30 p.m. if I try to work straight through.

Give it a try, just don’t nap for more than 90 minutes, or you’re sacrificing your productivity and negatively impacting your mental health.

9. Avoid Multitasking

As freelancers, we wear many hats. We have to respond to emails, manage our business records, and of course, complete client work. This can lead to many tabs open at once and cause you to bounce from tab to tab.

Freelance writers must stop multitasking right this second.

Those emails can wait. Close out of your email and only check your email between projects, set aside time for working on your business records, and only work on one writing project at a time.

You will get more done if you focus on one project at a time and produce higher-quality work.

10. Reflect and Meditate

Take time to sit in silence every day. I like to pull up a YouTube meditation video or use one of the programs from Sleep Cycle or Mintal Tracker. These are apps designed to help with sleep, and since I do most of my reflecting and meditating before bed, I find it natural to use them.

My favorite meditations are full-body scans to release tension. Journaling is also an effective method of reflection and meditation. Put your thoughts out on paper.

Write about what’s working right now and what could be better. This gives you a full perspective of your work and how you can improve it. You’ll be surprised what journaling can teach you about yourself.

The Takeaway

Being a freelance writer isn’t for the faint of heart, so we need to take care of our mental health if we want to stay in the game.

Prioritizing our mental health allows us to perform better and reduces the risk of burnout. As a result, we can increase the number of articles we write and their quality.

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