One of the clearest findings of the decade-long MBO Partners State of Independence study is full-time Independent workers (freelancers, independent contractors, the self-employed) consistently report that they believe they're happier and healthier because they are independent workers.
In 2020, 83 percent of full-time independents said they are "happier working on my own," and 71 percent said that "working on my own is better for my health."
These results are not surprising.
Numerous academic studies show that having work autonomy and control leads to better mental and physical health and higher levels of happiness.
And most full-time independent workers report having high levels of work autonomy and control.
One of our favorite studies on this topic - This Job Is (Literally) Killing Me: A Moderated-Mediated Model Linking Work Characteristics to Mortality – found that mental health and even mortality strongly correlate with the amount of work autonomy and control.
In other words, low levels of work control and autonomy not only makes you less likely to be happy; it also increases your risk of dying.
Dan Pink's book Drive also points out that autonomy is one of the three keys to intrinsic motivation.
According to the book (which is based on extensive research), when people are allowed to choose what they work on, when they work on it, how they accomplish it, and who they work with, they're more motivated and perform much better.
And those who are motivated and perform well at their work tend to be happier than those who are unmotivated or perform poorly.
The State of Independence study series has also found autonomy, control and flexibility are linked to work satisfaction. Independent workers who report having these work attributes report much higher work satisfaction than those who don't.
We've often pointed out that work/life flexibility, control, and autonomy are key reasons people become and like being independent workers.
The science of happiness (yes, there is such a science) provides evidence that these are good reasons.
