The Power Of ‘No’: Why Freelancers Must Set Boundaries To Protect Their Well-Being

Freelancing is more popular now than ever. In fact, researchers found that the number of freelancers increased by 90% between 2020 and 2024.

Freelancing comes with many perks: making your own schedule, working from anywhere, and setting your fee. Another perk is picking the projects you want to work on, but many freelancers will say yes to all projects. Many freelancers struggle to say “no” to certain projects even if they are unsatisfactory because they fear that if they do, no more projects will come in, or they’ll make less money. 

Unfortunately 64% of freelancers say they lack a qualitative work-life balance. On top of that, a whopping 83% agree that they feel “always on” which negatively impacts their lives in the sense that working hours and personal time seem to blend into one. If this sounds like you, we’ve got you covered. Check out our article here on how to set some boundaries with yourself vis-a-vis your freelance work. 

The “always on” mindset and the sensed pressure to always say yes has led to 90% of freelancers to report feeling low confidence regarding their work in 2024. Many think that saying yes ensures they always have work when actually, learning to say no can increase the quality of work, improve work-life balance, and shed some of that burn-out.

Here are some tips to get you from “but I won’t get more work” to “I get to choose the type of work I do.”

Many of us, especially women, especially women of color, learn that saying “no” is defiant or ungrateful when it comes to work opportunities, but it shouldn’t be that way.

“Saying no is a skill,” said Becca Kennedy, UX strategist with a PhD in Human Factors Psychology. “Saying yes to the wrong freelance opportunities can lead you toward misery and burnout, and we could all probably improve how mindful we are about our work, partners, and clients.” 

By reframing saying “no” into a positive, you’ll be able to assert yourself more confidently, because yes, you deserve quality work. 

Think of it this way, a company will analyze various opportunities, taking what fits their long-term goals and declining the ones that don’t align with their values, mission, or capacity. The way you approach your work should be no different. 

“Boundaries are the foundation,” said Natcho Angelo, Co-Founder & CEO of Kuubiik and advocate for global talent equality in outsourcing. “Saying no is not a loss; it’s a filter. By declining projects that don’t align with your skills, pay fairly, or respect your time, you protect energy for opportunities that truly matter.”

By learning to say “no,” you’ll allow yourself the opportunity to build the professional future you actually want rather than being stuck in the short-term. 

“If there’s one thing in your freelance business that you should put some work into, it’s the scarcity mindset,” said Austin L. Church, host of Freelance Cake and creative entrepreneur with over 15 years of freelance experience. By which he means letting go of it because it’s only holding you back. 

“The Abundance Mentality is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody,” wrote Stephen R. Covey in his The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People book. 

If that’s not enough to convince you, think of it this way: “Effortless abundance is a mindset,” wrote Amit Ray in Peace Bliss Beauty and Truth: Living with Positivity. “It is about naturally achieving your best with minimal drain on energy.”

Applying this mentality can only help you strategize and thrive rather than survive on the work that comes to you. Shedding the scarcity mindset will free up some time to look for the projects that fulfill you. When you stop saying yes to everything and start choosing intentionally, the right clients find you faster.

It’s time to liberate yourself from the scarcity mindset and step into an “I am worthy of work that fuels me,” attitude.