The other day I received a press release from Elaine Biech, the author of The New Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond, about worklife balance for consultants. “On one hand, you get to do the work you love while enjoying perks like setting your own schedule and traveling to exciting cities. But on the other hand, you must endure the punishing realities of your job: 4:00 a.m. flights, hours upon hours of work, poorly prepared restaurant food, and getting home at midnight after a long week.”

It got me thinking! So often we associate overwork culture with companies that demand we work longer hours and answer emails in the middle of the night. But that’s not always the case. Being self-employed brings a whole new level of stress to the table.

It’s not just consultants that run themselves ragged despite having more control over their schedules than most…