Contractors get anti-misery tips

Depression or loneliness if you’re a contractor – whether it’s due to the 2019 Loan Charge or from simply working alone – now have four simple but effective tips to contend with.

Designed to inject some “all-important comradery” into the working life of an independent worker, the tips are fail-safes for beating feelings of isolation, said print firm Epson, issuing them in response to its recent findings.

The four tips are:

1. Meet up with somebody during the day

This could be a former colleague, friend, business contact or fellow freelancer. The important thing is to punctuate the working day with some good company.

2. Join local networking groups

Many towns and regions have business networking groups; find them through your local/industry press or on LinkedIn.

Although many have a web presence, they often hold in-person meetings and events, too. You may even find a peer to collaborate with.

3. Get mobile

If you have the right technologies and apps, you can work more or less anywhere, including areas where people congregate such as cafés and libraries.

4. Make friends online

There are many freelancer forums and industry-specific networking groups and forums online, the trick is to find one that suits you. Once you've done that, you always have somewhere to go for a chat!