People may think that the life of a freelancer is full of carefree days making up your own schedule and working at your own pace. In fact, it can be downright challenging juggling various projects and deadlines, staying on top of your invoices, working without a set schedule, communicating with difficult clients and other things that can cause a lot of stress.
But there's no need to let these things get the best of you. It's possible to manage a freelancer's lifestyle in a way that's stress-free and healthy. Apps for mindfulness meditation, power naps, quick workouts, yoga and more can help freelancers stay sane through it all:
MacBreakZ- Do you have terrible posture? Repetitive strain injury? This app can help. It provides activity monitoring to track your activity level and plan breaks so you don't overwork yourself. It also offers 42 different stretches that can help stretch and strengthen problem areas as well as improving posture and circulation. Keep yourself healthy and pain-free.
Eyelo- Prevent eyestrain from spending too much time looking at your laptop with this app that works timed breaks and eye exercises into your workday. Every hour, the screen dims for a long break and every ten minutes there are short breaks with eye exercises. It notifies you when a break is coming up and allows you to customize the breaks but not skip them.
Buddhify- Over 80 different meditation tracks to help you deal with a variety of modern life situations. From helping you deal with stress to just taking a short work break this app can help you relax and focus. Working under a tight deadline while battling the flu? This app can help you work through it. Its guided meditations will help you sail through a variety of life's challenges so you can stay mindful and stress-free.
Fitnet- This personal training app gives you quick (5-7 minutes) targeted workouts that allow you get a workout in without having to go to the gym. Monitor your heart-rate and cardio zone and use your phone's camera to watch yourself and see how well you're performing the exercises alongside your trainer. Freelancers who need a quick energy boost during the day or have a hard time finding time to schedule a workout can use this app to keep up their health and fitness.
Yoga Wake Up- Before delving into the day's task list, try doing some yoga sequences. Choose from a variety of yoga sessions that focus on different areas such as breathing and meditation or yoga poses to get your body prepped for a day in front of the laptop. A great way to balance both the body and the mind so you can better tackle your workload.
7 Cups- Do you need to vent about a problem with a client? Or even a personal issue that's preventing you from working? This app gives you access to trained professionals who will listen to you and give you problem-solving tools to help you. You can also talk to others in the community who have dealt with similar situations. One great feature is a "growth path" that helps you chart your emotional wellness progress over time while offering daily exercises to help you continue improving.
Power Nap App- Power naps are a freelancer's best friend. When you're working hard throughout the day, a quick power nap can help refresh your brain and recharge your energy. Who can resist dozing off to beach sounds or the sound of rain and gentle thunder and being carefully coaxed back to wakefulness with chirping birds, chiming bells or a muted piano score?
Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson- Widely touted as one of the most effective sleep-inducing apps to combat insomnia, this app teaches relaxation techniques that allow you to let go of stress and anxiety so you can get the rest you need. Perfect for freelancers who have been burning the midnight oil and/or are stressed about a looming deadline.