“There are so many other avenues to make money where I don’t have to suffer. I wish I had discovered Taskrabbit sooner.”
– Tasker Darren
We spend one-third of our lives working; enjoying our work is critical to enjoying our lives. This year, we interviewed Austin-based Tasker Darren and learned about his decision to quit his corporate job for the sake of his mental health. Soon after, he started using the Taskrabbit platform to be his own boss, and his business has been growing ever since. Currently, he’s making more money as a Tasker than he was in his corporate job, and his quality of life has soared. We hope you’ll find Darren’s story as inspirational as we did.
“Throughout my life, I had embarked on multiple different career paths and all roads led to the same conclusion: I knew I wanted to work for myself.
My friend John had started tasking and showed me a snapshot of the income he was making as a part-time Tasker, and I immediately recognized an opportunity to create an exit plan from my 9-to-5.
While on a family vacation, my anxiety about going back to my job had hit a boiling point. It was pure agony and I couldn’t deal with it anymore. On Monday when I returned to work, I sat in my office, waiting to go into a meeting. That day, I made the decision to quit, and I still view it as one of the most liberating experiences of my life.
I started tasking and couldn’t believe that I could make money and have the flexibility to enjoy my life. As I continued building my tasking business, I was able to not only match my corporate salary but surpass it.
Before becoming my own boss, I used to suffer from the ‘Sunday Scaries,’ (the feeling of dread on Sundays before starting work on Monday). I wondered if I was the only one waking up on Monday mornings consistently thinking ‘there’s got to be something better.’ As a Tasker, I can take advantage of every ounce of my time because it’s more valuable than ever before.”
Mental Health Tips for Gig Workers
Find support
Being your own boss can feel daunting at first: for better or for worse, there’s no one to tell you what to do. Reaching out to others who have gone through the same process can offer valuable insight to fast-track your way to success. By taking advantage of online communities or dedicated support services, you can avoid missteps and save yourself stress.
Make time for what matters
One of the major advantages of being your own boss is that you can make time for the people, projects, and experiences you care about most. Make the most of this benefit by scheduling time each week to do something you love.
Take the long road
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was your business. Keep it simple by adhering to two key principles of success: do the best work you can and build meaningful connections with people. By viewing your career as a marathon instead of a sprint, you’ll be able to grow your business without sacrificing quality, setting yourself up for sustainable success.
Get help
Burnout can come in many forms, but some common symptoms are anxiety, fatigue, lack of purpose or creativity, emotional numbness, depression, concentration issues, feelings of worthlessness, and physical symptoms (headaches, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, or getting sick more often than normal). If you’re starting to feel a sense of burnout, stop and get help. There are free mental health services available 24/7, like SAMHSA.
Key Stats From the American Psychological Association
- 3 in 5 employees (59%) said they have experienced negative impacts of work-related stress in the past month
- 56% of workers say low salaries have a significant impact on stress levels
- 50% of workers say too heavy of a workload has a significant impact on stress levels
- 48% of workers say that unrealistic job expectations have a significant impact on stress levels
- 52% of workers cite a lack of growth and development opportunities impact their stress levels at work
- 48% say that lack of participation in decision-making significantly impacts their stress level at work
- 44% say that problems with their supervisor significantly impact their stress level at work
- 43% say that problems with their coworkers significantly impact their stress level at work
- Lower-level employees are more likely to experience negative impacts of work-related stress, and more than one in three front-line workers have quite frequently felt fed up at work in the past 30 days
