out a list of some things we self-employed types need to remember about ourselves.  If all we do is panic about this recession, we won't be able to do the work we were put on this earth to do.  If you have any ideas to add to the list that have helped you, please share with us all. Don't envy people in 9-to-5 jobs. One of the biggest headaches of being self-employed is you can't coast.  The time spent not working is taken up by bookkeeping, marketing, planning, and education -- and there's no one to pass the buck to.  It's tempting to envy people in "regular" jobs because it would be nice to have close colleagues and the assurance that doing well in Job A will allow you to move up to Job B.  This is basic human nature, but it's an illusion.  Workplace loyalty is disappearing if not already gone, and there's no guarantee that hard work results in fair treatment, or even that a company will be in existence next week. There's a reason you are working on your own, and that is because you're good at it.  Especially if you are in a creative field, take some consolation in the fact that your skills are unique and are a wondrous gift.  It was true when you were young, idealistic and nave, and it's still true. Many times, you are the envy of the people who feel stuck in their "regular" jobs. Remember that stifling, dead-end-job feeling