How to deal with anxiety as a freelancer

by Leo Wiles
25 November 2016

We all know the one about the owl and the pussycat who went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat, but did you hear the one about the wise old owl who flew away every time the guard dog barked, leaving the elephant stranded?

If you have, chances are that you know it’s a kid-friendly way to talk about your brain and how the decision-making pre-frontal cortex (owl) stops working when your fight-flight amygdala (dog) kicks in, freezing your hippocampus (elephant).

The result? You’re unable to access your memories or make good decisions.

It’s something I know a lot about after a toxic workplace left me with adrenal burn-out – which is about as much fun as it sounds. I was so excited to replace a bullying boss with independence and flexibility, I completely forgot that I was also leaving behind job security, holiday pay and super.

And walking into a situation in which anxiety and depression are a very real possibility.

In this Gallup survey, only 14 percent of self-employed workers reported they were ‘thriving’.

Isolation, cash-flow issues and a lack of security are regularly selected as the downsides of freelancing in our Show Me The Money surveys; exactly the kinds of things that ensure you’re worrying at 3am when you should be sleeping.

Freelancing aside, there are 3 million Australians living with depression or anxiety according to Beyond Blue. That’s 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men who will experience anxiety during their lifetime.

And in my case, there’s Christmas around the corner, a car that badly needs servicing and all the associated costs of a return to school in January looming on the horizon.

Just the other day, I found myself once more short of breath, dizzy and tight-chested as I made the school run (and listened to my daughter reminding me of all the guests and gifts she wants for her upcoming birthday). It motivated me to write this post, as I wondered how many of us out there are feeling exhausted and stressed as we move into what can be a notoriously quiet time of year for work, and yet a demanding one financially.

I’m also concerned, writing this, about potential blow-back and the fact I am offering my opinion about something so serious. (I know, I know but I am a born worrier. So before you read on, a caveat: if you do experience depression and or anxiety you should seek professional help such from your GP or an agency such as Lifeline or Beyond Blue.)

Last year, I offered readers practical tips on dealing with work-induced anxiety and project paralysis so with this blog, I’d like to offer three free practical tips outside the bog standard avoid stimulants-exercise-sleep-stroke-the-dog-talk-it-out advice.

1. Strike a pose Think Wonder Woman or Superman. Stand talk, legs apart, hands on hips, chest raised. Now doesn’t that feel better? Shrinks say our brain reads the body’s signals and takes this power stance as a cue to feel powerful and in control. So give it a go next time you’re feeling anxiety looming.

2. Try a mindfulness trick.  So much of what we worry about we have no control over and/or doesn’t exist. When you find yourself spinning out or unable to sleep ground yourself by listing 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste. Personally, I like to shut my eyes so I skip the seeing part, but it should all have the same calming effect.

3. Breathe it out. Oxygenating our brain and bodies helps us to feel calm and allows the wise old owl to soothe the barking dog. Inhale for three seconds, exhale for six, hold for four seconds, and repeat.

Do you suffer anxiety as a freelancer? What techniques do you use to deal with it?