Mental Health

How Freelance Jobs Affect the Brain [VIDEO]

By Mark Miller | Update Date: Mar 21, 2017 07:10 AM EDT

As the number of freelancers continues to increase not only in the United States but as well as nearby countries, a new study looks into the state of mind of freelance workers. Also, with no definite answer on how the new GOP health care bill will affect freelancers, the question on how much freelancers have control over their work, and its effect to their health rises.

The present gig economy does not offer the degree of autonomy that most freelancers expect from it. There is a current debate on whether having freelance jobs really gives freelancers full control over their work, or if they are still controlled by a corporation.

If one will look into the neuroscientific perspective of freelancing, one can observe that having a freelance job allows a person to control their movements. The brain's cerebellum can easily predict a person's movement depending on how they plan it.

Brain activations are different as you trace your own path, compared to following a set of instructions from your boss. By observation, the body works better when the person himself is in charge. Such freedom also allows a freelancer to regulate, adapt, be flexible and work gracefully on their jobs, despite changing circumstances, The Guardian explains.

However, with the fate of the new health care bill being uncertain under the Trump administration, the freelancing world is worried on what the future holds for their health needs. In the US alone, 35 percent of the workforce are from freelance jobs.

This contributes to an estimated $1 trillion earnings for the economy. The numbers are expected to continue unless the new GOP health care bill or the government screws up, Upwork CEO Stepahene Kasriel quoted in a report from the USA Today.

Experts predict three things under the new GOP health care bill plan that would affect freelancers in the Trump era. If the bill is legislated, taxes for freelancers and other business owners will be half the rate of taxes employees pay.

Less vigilance in the Trump backed health care system in the misclassification of workers would be favorable for freelancer workers. However, reduced services and higher premiums are also predicted as more freelancers seek for health benefits.

 

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