So is it just me? Or can becoming self-employed affect your health? And if so, what can we do about it? Jade works in the hospitality industry and has been self-employed for six months. She says working from her sofa and not a desk affects her posture. “I end up completely hunched over for hours at a time, and the tension builds all around my neck and shoulders,” she says. “It got really bad at one point and I was getting muscle spasms.”