Dangerous temperatures and major amounts of snow—what a way to kickstart 2014! With school closings and State-wide shutdowns expected to last until Friday, the Boston weather forecast is looking grim for professionals ready to get back to business after the holiday break. As freelancers, we may be able to thumb our noses at those prevented from getting to their place of business since we are able to work right out of our homes, but we face our own kinds of challenges in a snow emergency.
Productive at Any Time
Obviously if you work from home, then you will have freedom to be productive at the times throughout the day that are best for you. While deadlines and work availability may fluctuate, choosing when to take breaks and when to put in gung-ho hours is mostly up to you. When a snow storm shuts down Boston, for example, you can merrily press on in your freelance endeavors.
Ready to Go Stir Crazy
So, most freelancers are probably familiar with the possibility of cabin fever when there is never a need to leave your home office. During a storm even the normal escapes that come in the form of grocery shopping and coffee with friends are nixed and unwanted distractions might hamper normal productivity.
To keep from feeling overly antsy, try scheduling breaks throughout your day to break up the mundane:
- Take a 30 minute break to watch the newest episode of your favorite show or start something new.
- Choose one or two hours of your day to work in a different room of your home (the bedroom or kitchen table, for example) to get a small change of scenery.
- Take short breaks throughout the day to tidy the room or do a small cleaning job—keeping the room fresh will help the space feel less claustrophobic.
- With schools closed, don’t forget to give your kids fun activities, since they will feel restless as well. Encourage them to play outside and do active things indoors—don’t let them spend all of their time with video games or TV.
Prepared for the Effects of a Snow Storm
Don’t be caught off guard by bad weather. Stay stocked on basic food items like granola, energy bars, dried fruit, canned tuna, nuts, V-8 juice and peanut butter that are easy to store, don’t expire quickly and nutritious when cooking isn’t an option. Personally, I also stay stocked up on the basics, like toilet paper and canned soup—it never hurts to have them on hand for days when I don’t want to make a trip to the store and it’s especially helpful in bad weather.
Freelancers rely heavily on electronics for productivity, so in preparation for a power outage we should take steps to be able to continue on with content writing. Have a battery back-up for your laptop or workspace so that work may be saved and productivity may continue. There are lots of options for battery backups, as well as reviews and helpful tips for picking out the one that is right for you.
Alethea M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
