Self-Employment and Endometriosis: Part 2

In the first installment of this two-part series, Jessica and Chris explored the benefits of being self-employed to better manage endometriosis. Today, they dive into some of the challenges they've experienced, and offer their advice to anyone wondering if this route is right for them.

What challenges do you face with being self-employed and how does it relate to endometriosis?

Jessica: I’m a perfectionist, an overachiever, and a really hard worker. With no one telling me to go home, I find it hard to switch off and stop working. There are weeks when I work seven days straight and do it all over again the following - it’s not good for me, and I’m working on changing that. Part of what encourages this habit is the insecurity around money - I’m now on a third of what I once made as an employee, and I don’t have sick pay or holiday pay. There’s a kind of self-employed insurance you can get which I aim to do, but I need to be earning a bit more money first in order to invest in that. As a result, most of the time I work through if I’m not feeling great, but at least I can do it in my own way and not have to put on a mask to everyone else.

Chris: Both of us being self-employed in the way we are means that even if Jess is really sick, she doesn’t have my reliable salary to fall back on. We’re both working on having an emergency fund in the bank, but until that time that’s definitely a draw back from traditional employment and a guaranteed pay check at the end of the month.

What advice would you give to other people thinking of going self-employed to help manage endometriosis?

Jessica: Quite honestly, being self-employed is hard. You have to be disciplined, self-motivated, and structured. It can also take a lot to get your business off the ground and breaking even or making a profit. Really research your business - how much you can make, how soon, marketing, productivity hacks, etc. I thought I did a lot of this before I went self-employed, but now I’m two years in, I see how naive I was. I would have built much more financial security and business growth, plus room for me to take sick days and holidays, if I had known all this stuff earlier on.

I would have a think about your values too. If you want to be a business owner or you’ve always dreamt of being your own boss, the sacrifices will probably be worth it, but the benefits such as health care, HR, sick pay, etc. that come with being an employee are also so helpful. I look back and realize I had it really good at one of my jobs! They looked after me well. If you’re not happy where you are - just have a think about what aligns with your lifestyle. Do you need to find a different job with more understand employees, or do you actually need complete freedom?

Chris: It definitely isn’t an ‘easier’ option. Sometimes the stress of trying to find clients, not knowing how reliable your income will be, paying off bills taxes and other responsibilities etc. can feel overwhelming. It definitely isn’t for everyone. But if your endometriosis is affecting your ability to hold down a job - maybe you are taking sick days as you need to be at home, or the pain makes it difficult to interact with colleagues or clients - and if the type of work you do permits it, then being your own boss and managing your own schedule can be one of the most impactful ways of taking control of your endometriosis and managing your symptoms.