Freelance writing from home is great. I get to make my own hours. When I am sick or busy, I do not accept work. The rest of the time, I bring home the bacon. The problem is many freelancers, myself included, find that taking a planned day off just for the heck of it is very difficult when there is money to be made. Despite the potential income, taking a planned day off has many benefits.
3 Reasons to Plan Occasional Days Off
- It is easy to feel like you are always available to your family because you are home, however if you are working you should count those hours as work. Take a day off where you are not in contact with clients to show your family they are priority.
- Efficiency will improve when you know that you are not going to be able to sit in front of the computer screen at all the next day. It is easy to browse the internet for way too long, and get distracted while “working.” However, if you have the mentality that these hours alone are set for working, efficiency will improve.
- A day off cultivates a better mental outlook on workdays. Even if you enjoy your job, taking time to step away will make workdays even better. Burn out happens to the best of us, and an enjoyable profession can turn into a chore fast without a break.
Scheduled Days Vs. Random Relaxation
I like to take Sundays and Mondays off because things are typically slower in all the markets. This is not a set-in-stone rule, however when things get busy through the week I can look forward to a “weekend” just like anyone else. The best part of freelance writing is being able to plan things without the constraint of office hours, however there is an argument for setting your own office hours for personal boundaries with clients.
Once you Decide on a day off – Commit to it!
Whether I am going on a mini-vacation or deciding to spend the day with the family, the key is to actually take the day off once I decide to. There have been many times that I planned to take a day off then spent the day browsing various sources for additional work. This is not only unproductive most of the time, at the end of the day it did not feel like a day off at all. Once I decide it is a day off, I really embrace it. This means no checking for available work or emails from clients every hour. The world will not fall apart without me for a weekend, and clients will receive better quality writing from a rested, undistracted writer.
Amanda H has enjoyed writing articles in a variety of niches for many websites for five years. When she is not in front of the computer she is enjoying the Florida wilderness and sunshine.
