Freelancers & Entrepreneurs Are Suffering From Isolation More Than You Think

Most freelancers work from home and it can feel awesome being in control of your work and time – a lifestyle envied by those stuck in the 9-5 grind – but it can have negative psychological and physical effects in the long term. Around 30% of company founders have reported that they suffer from depression and considering only 7% of the whole population is affected by depression – this proves there must be a link.

Currently there are around 1.4m freelancers in the UK, an increase of 14% in the past decade, and it is steadily rising as more people make the switch to working for themselves.  

But it’s not the perfect life as many people may think so, freelancers and entrepreneurs are more likely to suffer from feelings of isolation than any other work group. Sitting at home with your trusty laptop, listening to yourself tapping away on the keyboard all day is enough to drive anybody crazy after a while. Freelancers often experience whole days where they don’t speak a word, and can go up to a week without face to face interaction, that’s quite sad isn’t it? The solitude of freelancing and entrepreneurship is not for everybody and you can be left feeling uninspired and bored.

49% of company founders report suffering from mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and ADHD and an unknown percentage suffer from substance abuse issues. 

Many Entrepeneurs Are Hypomanic

Hypomania is a milder form of mania and is often found in the relatives of manic-depressives (bipolar disorder). Hypomanic people are full of energy, ideas, creativity and optimism and so make brilliant entrepreneur’s, their drive for success is almost incomparable. However, with the pro’s there must be some con’s. Hypomanic’s also act impulsive, get irritated by little things and often feels victimized if people do not believe in their vision – this is all linked to depression, anxiety and in extreme cases suicide. Hypomania and mania are both linked to Bipolar Disorder, however you can experience them both without depression.

So how do you spot a hypomanic? They’re usually the one’s that run of pretty much no sleep, they’re euphoric, talkative, risky behavior, easily distracted, think they are the next best thing, lots of ideas, highly motivated and often feels like they’re the “chosen” one.

Workplace Socializing Increases Productivity

Honestly, it does! It may seem counterproductive, but you can only do your best work for approximately 90 minutes at a time and then you begin to lose focus. Taking regular breaks and putting yourself into social situations, whether that’s at a coffee shop or scheduling a face-to-face meeting instead of over Skype, can have a significant impact on your productivity than if you had continued working. It’s been noted that when you interact with a positive person, the positivity rubs off on you and can leave you feeling inspired.

Did you know: Those that we work with have the potential to increase our happiness as much as earning £100,000 would

We All Need Advice

If you’ve been working on your business alone and haven’t had anybody involved it’s hard to get genuine advice with any problems you’re stuck with. You may even feel you’re the only person experiencing these problems which can leave you feel demotivated and in some cases, depressed. By speaking to other like-minded people you are more likely to hear of similar stories and realize you are not alone, and they could even help you find a solution. If you can’t find a space to work that is suited to you, try attending weekly networking meetings to have a coffee and chinwag with other professionals.

Overworking Can Make You Sick

When we work from home it often doesn’t feel like work, we can have the TV on or the music blaring and it doesn’t quite feel like work so we work longer hours. Working longer hours not only makes your social life and relationships suffer but due to lack of movement your muscles can actually get weaker. Many entrepreneur’s continue working from home even if they are ill which stops your body from recovering as quickly. If you do work from home and find yourself sitting for hours at a time, take a break every hour and stretch your legs and try to exercise at home. Yoga is a great way to give your muscles a stretch and loosen any muscles and doesn’t require any equipment.

Even though the odds are against you for succeeding in your business, doesn’t mean you should be working 14 hour days every day.

Those who work 10 hours a day or more have a 60% more chance of experiencing a heart attack, are those extra hours worth it?

Creativity and Innovation Suffers

When you’re working alone sure it’s great because you can put your head down and concentrate but other people help fuel your creativity and inspire innovation. Every day when you listen to people talking or even seeing them doing an activity can inspire your next great idea. If you really don’t like talking to people and don’t want to be social take some time out and sit on a bench in the city center and people watch, just being around the buzz of other people can have a positive effect.

When you start to feel isolated or depressed it can start to affect the quality of your work and your productivity. If you start to feel that way, get outside and enjoy other people’s company or try hotdesking a couple of times a week at your local coworking space.

If you need somebody impartial to talk to, check out this link for a list of places from the NHS