Why Is Good Health The Best Retirement Strategy For Freelancers?

How are you feeling today my dear fellow freelancers?

Here's another question to all freelancers out there. When was the last time you paid a visit to your doctor? Just to check out your current health situation. Just in case. It has been a while, isn't it?

Why should you? The statistics are on your side. The overwhelming majority of freelancers are in their prime. There's no need to get into tiny details, but let's just say that we're talking about the young and healthy freelance workforce, in general. So, what's there to worry about?

Freelancers Don't Retire As Long As Their Health Allows Them To Work

In theory, you can freelance as long as you want. In practice, it's not only important that you're alive, but you should be also kicking, as well. You know how they say, an alive and kicking freelancer.

So, long story short, if you can pay some extra attention to your freelance health that can easily turn out the best retirement investment you've ever made.

Now, I'm not going to lecture you about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Instead, I will share a list of the most common obstacles and traps standing in the way between your freelance work and your health. If you can avoid them or at least minimize their negative effects, then you are already ensured yourself a good pension plan without even knowing it.

Insomnia

It's nice that you're working around the clock. Your clients coming from the different time zones certainly appreciate it. However, every now and then, you should actually look at your clock. What usually happens is that your freelance mind works on the one side of the world while your body takes a nap somewhere else. In the long run, your sleeping disorder can hit you back like a boomerang.

High Blood Pressure

Personally, my favorite. This notorious silent killer will try to warn you more than once to slow down. You want to be a successful freelancer, but I definitely don't want to be a collapsing freelancer. My doctor says that the last bill your high blood pressure delivers you will go to one of the two critical addresses: your brain or your heart. So, what can you do about your high blood pressure as a freelancer? Well, if some client or a project is making your blood pressure go through the roof, then that's probably not worthy of all the trouble and pain.

Obesity

All those late night pizza orders and hectolitres of cola will eventually pile up somewhere. Unfortunately, the freelance conferences and seminars have turned into the depressive meetings of obese people. Truth to be told, there are freelancers who're taking their laptops to the gym. They're the beacons of hope that's still possible to be a good-looking freelancer.

Hollywood Won't Burn, But You May

Many hard-working professionals tend to burn out. Freelancers aren't an exception. Yet, it's not a nice thing to see people, who suffer in the real-time and space for something that is relevant only in the virtual universe. It's understandable that you have to sacrifice between 12 and 14 hours a day to finish an urgent project. However, if this is going to become your daily freelance working routine then it's not very likely that you will become a happily retired freelancer.

A Broken Freelance Heart

This isn't necessarily a deadly disease for freelancers, but it can be extremely contagious. I know that freelancers like to show off as proud and strong individuals. Yet, once the word comes out about the freelance brothers or sisters who hit the wall of failure, the domino effect occurs. Rest assured that a fear of failure tends to spread like a wildfire among freelancers. So, beware of this one and mind your own freelance business.

So, Should I Give Up On Freelancing?

I obviously don't practice what I preach. This is how I ended up a few unhealthy "trophies" I got along my freelance journey. The moral of my story is that you shouldn't work hard only to see your freelance money being melted by your medical bills.

Freelance to live don't live to freelance.

Also, you would be surprised how the change of your freelance working environment can be beneficial for your health. That was the most important reason for me to leave all the freelance "dinosaurs" behind and join goLance. I can tell you first-hand that I fell much better and healthier working here.

So, until the next blog post, I wish you good health and very few if possibly no visits at all to your doctor. Cheers!