Introduction to the Mental Health First Aid Kit

A strong mind is one of the foundations of wellness!

But working for yourself isn’t easy and can exacerbate any prior mental health problems. It can also create new ones! It’s important to be mindful of your mental health and wellbeing and the purpose of this mental health toolkit is to help you help yourself!

One in four freelancers is facing mental health issues. The number of self-employed people saying they have ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ mental health has increased from 6% to 26% since the beginning of the pandemic (a 300% rise), according to the
Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE).

The number saying they had ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ mental health has also dropped significantly since the beginning of the pandemic – from two-thirds (68%) to just over a third (39%). This was most severe among women (a drop of 54%) and young freelancers aged 16-34 (a drop of 49%).A third of freelancers (32%) now say they are highly stressed, with serious negative consequences. Half (48%) said they felt depressed or anxious because of stress – and the same proportion said they felt they were also less productive. 47 per cent of stressed freelancers said they were losing sleep because of worry and 46 per cent said they felt a reduction in their confidence and energy. Just over a fifth (22%) said they had even lost clients because of job-related stress.

On the flip side, the majority of UK furloughed workers have said going freelance has had a positive impact on their mental health! According to a study from digital accountancy tool Bokio, 53% of 1,300 UK freelancers said going freelance has had a positive impact on their mental health, compared with 33% who believe it has a negative impact.

Please note that this eBook does not provide an exhaustive list of resources. It’s meant as a starting point to provide you with various options to look after your mental health and wellbeing. I hope some of the suggestions will resonate with you.

Here’s the link to the Mental Health First Aid Kit