Whether you’re an entrepreneur who runs a small business or a VA (virtual assistant) who’s in the service industry, you’re a freelancer. Being a freelancer simply means you’re self-employed and can elect to have a long or short term working relationship with another company or individual. This is in and of itself a true blessing. You’re in control of your time, no clock punching and no pre-determined lunch breaks. However, because many freelancers have to hustle and look for their next “gig” or “client”, many forget just how good taking a mental and/or physical break throughout the day can be. We’re constantly hearing you should be “plugged-in” to this or that – literally or figuratively; well I say “plug-out” once in a while. The sounds and sound waves that come from all the electronics we run throughout the day is real. Electric and magnetic fields (EMF) are areas of energy that surround any electrical device; so taking the time to actually unplug and turn off your electronics for a bit and sit silently can be a real game changer for your health and creativity.

I feel best when I’m communing with nature: I often take a break to ride my bike along one of the forest preserve trails. This allows me to enjoy God’s creation and provides real peace, in what can be an otherwise chaotic day; or I may ride my bike to my local library and enjoy sitting in the quite of the beautiful architecture, surrounded by books. My favorite past time is reading and I think freelancers forget that your time is your own, so take a break and go outside, even if it’s a bit chilly. When I conduct health consultations with clients, I encourage those who are at their wits end to take a nap! Yep, you can take a nap as a freelancer and isn’t that a blessing? When stress is overwhelming (which can be the nature of the beast for entrepreneurs and freelancers), plug out, go to your room, and get some rest. Don’t reach for the cookies to sooth you, a nap will do just fine and you’ll wake up refreshed; which again is great for your health and creativity.

If you’re finding that the joys of entrepreneurship and freelancing are becoming less and less visible and you need some encouragement, feel free to schedule a health consultation with me today: Health Consultation. We’ll spend an hour together and I’ll share more tips with you on how to handle your stress naturally. My interview with world-renown health educator: Denny Waxman found here, will also provide you with helpful tips that you can implement right away to keep that creative spark and remain mentally and physically healthy. You can listen to my interview with him while you work, or better yet: TAKE A BREAK! and listen later. 🙂

This is Shilonda Downing signing out for Virtual Work Team LLC!