Sure, you get to sit at home all day with no worries about a morning commute; or a busy office filled with annoying coworkers; or a world in which your boss can drop the hammer on your career at any point in time. However, despite all the benefits freelancing has to offer, it can still be a tremendous drain on your social and life batteries. With that in mind, there are steps you can take to ensure you stay motivated and happy in the home workplace. If you’re willing to work at your own happiness, we guarantee you’ll come out the better for it.

  1. Try New Things: We know how it goes. You’ve been using the same textures for about fifteen projects now, as well as all the same design principles and thoughts to construct each and every offering. At some point during all of this, designing a new project starts to feel like the last project, and the one before that. If any of this sounds familiar, we’re begging you now: Shake things up! Comb the Internet for new ideas, new patterns, new methods, new tools, etc. Think outside the box, and try to find sites that highlight those that already are. There’s a lot of potential for creativity out there, and if you’re not looking, you’re likely to get caught in a rut.
  2. Change the Scenery: There’s a reason you see so many freelancers hanging out in coffee shops. Changing your daily scenery might just be the difference between feeling completely trashed out as a designer, and feeling totally rejuvenated. You don’t have to do too much, but consider going down to the local Starbucks today to give things a whirl. Pick a quiet corner, set up your drawing pad and laptop, and then let the creative juices flow with the coffee.
  3. Have a Social Life: You’re at home, you have a computer, and if you’ve got a webcam, you’ve got Skype. Use this combination to stay close to friends and family, timing calls with your breaks so you get the most out of your own downtime. Keeping conversation close isn’t wasted time: It reaffirms your humanity, and keeps you happy!