10 things that negatively affect freelancers' mental health (and what you can do about it).

Based upon our annual survey, we've highlighted the most common challenges that freelancers face which negatively affect their mental health, and provide some tips on how to avoid them.

1. Irregular income

86.3% of freelancers felt this had a negative impact on their mental health during 2024 - and it’s not surprising. Not knowing where your next invoice might come from (or when) can be highly stressful.

Our tip:

Develop an always-on new business strategy - don’t just go looking for work when you’re not working.

Invest a little bit of time every week to building new connections, keeping old connections warm, and diversifying where you find work from.

Without a bit of structure or plan, it can feel like you’re always scrambling.

2. Feeling unproductive

91% of freelancers felt unproductive at some point during 2024 - it’s a natural feeling, and not everyone can be productive all the time - in fact, it’s unhealthy and unrealistic to aim for that.

Our tip:

Taking regular rest breaks is an important part of being productive - make sure you’re taking time away from the screen every hour or so, and schedule in planned time off and downtime away from work at least every three months.

3. Projects being cancelled

72% of freelancers felt negatively impacted by projects being cancelled at some point during 2024 - in fact 80% of freelaners experienced this in the last 12 months, and it can cause a significant impact to both your cashflow, and how you’re feeling.

Our tip:

Make sure you’ve got a contract in place - have something in writing which holds the client accountable to paying you for any work you’ve completed, and consider putting cancellation clauses in place too.

This can give you peace of mind, and a financial safety net should work be cancelled.

4. Feelings of isolation

32% of freelancers felt a significant impact on their mental health due to feelings of isolation and loneliness in 2024, and 89% of freelancers felt lonely at some point during the year.

It can be very easily to feel alone when you’re working for yourself, as you’re taking on a huge responsibility, and might be less likely to be spending time with colleagues.

Our tip:

Take some time to build a network of fellow freelancers - find others who understand the experience of self-employment, whether it be local meetup groups or online communities.

Checking-in with fellow freelancers can help you feel more connected to others.

Even if you’re not feeling this way, it can a good way to support others who might be struggling.

5. Dealing with tax

Everyone has to deal with tax, but around two-thirds of freelacners said it was a source of stress for them in 2024. They say tax doesn’t have to be taxing, but if you’ve not had to be responsible for accounting and tax-returns before, it can be a bit daunting.

Our tip:

Get ahead of your tax - don’t wait until the last minute to do your accounting and tax return.

Invest a little bit of time each week to do your admin, read up on what your tax liabilities are, learn about self-assessment now, rather than weeks before the deadline.

And consider working with an accountant - they can save you time, money and stress.

6. Irregular working patterns

Despite most freelancers wanting more control over their working patterns, 66% of freelancers felt irregular working patterns were having a negative impact on their mental health in 2024.

And it’s easy to understand why - employment gives our day structure, but self-employment requires us to put our own structure in place.

Our tip:

Give yourself some structure - whilst this doesn’t work for everyone, having some sort of structure to the day can really help you feel more focused, motivated and productive, and crucially, can help you switch off at the end of the day.

Consider putting a start and end time in to your diary, put a ‘commute’ into the day by leaving your house and working in another space, or even just a walk around the block before you start work.

And at the end of your day, put your work to bed - put your work things away, and don’t take work calls or messages after a certain time.

7. Setting pricing

This is perhaps the most common conversation in freelancing communities - how to set your day rates.

It can be challenging, and feels like it’s putting a monetary value on your worth.

Even established freelancers can struggle with this, and around 50% of freelancers felt this caused them stress in 2024.

Our tip:

Use benchmarks to ensure you’re not undervaluing your work - use benchmark data from a range of sources to check you’re not charging less than market rates, and do a budget to check you’re earning what you need to live well.

Ask fellow freelancers too - many will be open to sharing their rates and approach.

8. Late Payments

Unfortunately over 70% of freelancers had experienced late payments in 2024, and it can have a significant impact on both cashflow and mental health.

It’s disrespectul, and can make you feel rubbish having to chase and ask for the money you’re owed.

Our tip:

Put process in place - make sure you’re not doing any work without a contract, put clear payment terms in place, agree the payment process with a new client as soon as you start working with them, and when you’ve sent the invoice, follow up immediately to check it’s been received and there are no problems with paying it.

9. Lack of confidence

So many freelancers face feelings of low confidence at some point - it’s important to recognise this is part of the human condition, not a failure on your part.

There’s a huge amount to learn in self-employment, and when you’re doing it by yourself, without positive feedback or support from others, its natural to be unsure at times.

Our tip:

Make use of your communities and networks - share your experiences and feelings, get the input from others, buddy up to collaborate on projects or even look to find a mentor who can help work with you to build your confidence over time.

And don’t forget to ask your clients for feedback - having a book of positive testimonials can really help remind you of the great work you’ve done, and the impact it has had.

10. Being ghosted

Far too many freelancers are experiencing ghosting - and it can have a significant impact on your mental health, if you’re waiting to hear back on a piece of work you’ve developed a proposal for, but they never reply.

It’s rude, and disrespectful, but setting your own boundaries is essential to protect your mental health.

Our tip:

Move on quickly - if you’ve been ghosted, try to limit the amount of time you’re spending thinking about whether they might reply or not.

If they’re not getting back to you promptly, it’s likely they’re not a good client to be working with, and you can focus your efforts on clients who are ready and eager to engage.

In Summary

There are lots of things which can affect your mental health as a freelancer, but there are also lots of things you can do to protect your mental health too, so investing in taking care of your own wellbeing is an essential part of the success and sustainability of your business.

The full Leapers report into mental health and freelancing is available to read here, and our Mental Health hub is growing with additional resources and guides to help you look after your wellbeing as a freelancer.