Being self-employed, or freelancing is a truly unique 
environment in which to work.  Basically, you wake up every 
morning and "reinvent the wheel."  That means that you begin 
every day knowing that you'll be required to provide your 
customers with something they feel that they can't live 
without.  That's not an easy thing for your stress level to 
handle.  

Being self-employed is synonymous with long hours, and working 
through those days that you really should have taken off.  It 
means that your stomach is repeatedly in knots and the 
adrenaline just doesn't flow anymore.

If this describes you, you're not alone.

Working for oneself from home, in front of the computer on 
weekdays and weekends is becoming evermore popular thanks to 
the internet and the World Wide Web.  However, with this ever 
growing popularity of independence, comes the increasing build 
of stress.

Symptoms of high stress in those who are self-employed include:

* The inability to concentrate
* The general feeling of being uptight
* Biting everyone's head off
* Aching shoulders and neck
* A constant headache
* Indecisiveness
* Fatigue
* Insomnia

Of course, these are only a sample of the symptoms, but they 
are among the most common.  If left unmanaged, stress can even 
develop further into more dangerous health conditions.

For people who are self-employed, proper stress management 
becomes critical to living a healthy, rewarding life.  Stress 
management itself is a matter of recognizing your individual 
stresses, finding the cause, and taking responsibility for 
these stresses, making changes where they are necessary.

This can be as simple as taking an aroma therapeutic bubble 
bath at night, yoga, or something more structured, such as 
consulting a stress management therapist.

If you are self-employed, and you wish to make certain that 
your stress level is managed effectively, you may wish to 
consult your doctor, who can advise you with regards to the 
techniques and strategies that will work best for you.