As a part self-employed, part regularly employed myself, it has its drawbacks.

You have little to no protections as a worker, and bear a lot of the risks. You may run out of orders or get sick and you’re the only person responsible for your safety net. Given that self-employment quite often pays less than regular one, this might be a big issue.

But on a bright side, there’s so much more freedom in this. You choose what to do, and unless you run a place or something, you choose when and sometimes even where you do it.

For me, I found a very welcoming space for self-employment, particularly research contracts. Projects take anything from 3 months to a few years, and you only have to check in once a few months to tell how it’s going and what’s next. I have full access to the laboratory resources I need, and half of the job is paperwork (compiling sources, devising methods, referencing against equipment, estimating bills, writing reports, writing articles for public projects, applying for new projects…) that can be done from home.

So, I can easily take a week off this part if I need time for personal projects, and can double down when I feel I can pull it off. This reduces mental strain dramatically, though requires some level of discipline. Pay is not overwhelming, but it keeps me afloat. So, overall, I’m happy with my choices.