5 Lowkey Investments That Help Protect My Mental Health

As a freelancer for over a year now, I’m enjoying so many things that are far better than what I have experienced in the usual corporate setup. I will never get tired of telling over and over again that I’m so grateful I was brave enough to choose this path.

However, everything has its own contrasts of highs and lows and pros and cons. And freelancing is not an exemption from it. I may be enjoying the work-life balance, the better pay, the ability to work anytime and anywhere I want, and the flexibility that most corporate slaves seem to obsess about, but beyond those advantages, I admit there are a lot of challenges that I need to overcome in order to keep this setup sustainable.

One of the biggest challenges is how to protect my mental health.

You see, when you become a digital nomad, you cut a huge chunk in your life, and that includes social interaction with REAL people. And by real social interaction, I mean those small talks and company gossip you usually do in the pantry and the genuine laughs you share with your workmates, to name a few. There’s just something about real physical interaction that cannot be compared with screen interactions. And for some people, this is one of the things that add up to their energy levels, or helps contribute to their mental health as a whole.   

As an extreme introvert though, getting social interaction is not on top of my list to fill my energy bar. I can go on a full week or even a month with just me and my laptop in my woman cave. The challenge, however, lies in overcoming things that lead me to overthink, have a messed-up sleep cycle, and live a sedentary lifestyle.

This led me to invest in things or activities to help me protect my sanity and my overall wellness, especially my mental health.

1. Renting a Coworking Space

Unlike in a corporate setup where you’re forced to get your ass up every morning and stick to a routine, freelancing gives you all the freedom to work anytime or anywhere you want. Sounds enticing, but this often backfires. This ultimate freedom also gives you all the reasons to procrastinate.

During my first months, I struggled to stick to a schedule. I always end up sleeping or scrolling for memes in between tasks. And I always find myself cramming over the weekend to submit my deliverables. Renting a coworking space allowed me to train my system to default into work mode. This ultimately helped me focus and finish tasks in a flash so I can enjoy the rest of the week.

2. Buying an Amazon Kindle Tablet

I usually have a hard time sleeping because of endless thoughts that visit right before I sleep. Reading has helped me tone down these thoughts which eventually led to better sleeping patterns. And since I’m not a fan of keeping physical books with me, I invested in an Amazon Kindle tablet. 

What I like the most about the Kindle tablet is it allows me to keep my focus on what I’m reading without getting distracted. Reading through Kindle also feels like reading a physical book. I experienced little to no eyestrains compared to reading PDFs on other devices. Its e-inked pages are also printed in a way that mimics the physical printed books. 

3. Buying a Wireless Earphones

I love listening to podcasts, especially during my morning workouts. This helps me have something to look forward to instead of dragging myself to work out. The wireless earphones help me to fully focus my attention on podcasts while letting my body do its job. 

4. Subscribing to Netflix

Watching Netflix might just be a waste of time. But if it’s the time you enjoy wasting, then it’s not a time wasted. You just have to keep the balance and know your limits. In my case, I’m not that fond of foreign movies and the only reason why I’m subscribing to Netflix is to watch the new teleserye of Kathniel’s 2 Good 2 Be True. Hi, a Kathniel fan here! 🙂 

5. Playing Online Mind Games

I don’t have any games installed on my phone. But when my mind itches for other mind-stimulating activities, I just go to a particular site, the solitaire.org. I’m old school when it comes to playing online games and I just love how this site incorporated those timeless games that I enjoy since childhood.

Aside from solitaire, it has Chess, Sudoku, and Minesweeper (three of my favorites!), to mention a few. You can find a lot more classic mind games when you go to their site. The good thing is it’s totally free and the only thing I have to invest is my time – and my brain cells.

Final Thoughts

Protecting your mental health is very important. It’s as important as caring for your physical health. It’s just funny how we underestimate taking care of our mental health just because it’s something that isn’t visual. But fail to protect it and everything in your life will become a huge mess. 

You don’t really have to shell off an amount of money to take care of it. But being aware and acknowledging that you need to work on it helps a ton. So whatever helps you protect your mental health, go for it! You do you.