Tips on taking time off as a freelancer
Many parts of the world are currently gearing up for the festive season which for lots of people means some well-deserved time off from the daily grind. However, the practicalities of taking time out can often be more complicated for freelancers who are typically not paid for down time and are therefore are caught in a frustrating double bind of having to spend more money on things like festive gifts and socialising at a time of having less work to do and therefore being financially poorer.
This is a question that more and more people face as an increasing number of people, and particularly people from younger generations, take up freelancing. According to figures from Upwork Research Institute which are described in Forbes, 38% of the US workforce did freelance work in 2023, with 52% of all Gen Z professionals surveyed saying that they did freelance work, compared to 44% of Millennials, 30% of Gen X and 26% of Boomers. It would seem reasonable to assume that similar trends can be seen in other industrialised countries.
There are many reasons why more and more people are freelancing these days and the profile of freelancers is also changing. Nowadays, it is increasingly common for people in permanent employment to do freelance work on the side, rather than making a full-time income from freelancing. The reasons for people taking on freelance work are manifold, from earning an additional income to pursuing a personal passion to reskilling as part of a longer-term career pivot. Over and above this, some people are now employed on a freelance basis for work which would have traditionally been paid on a permanent employed basis and are therefore left in a more precarious position when it comes to taking time off.
Many people enjoy the autonomous nature of freelance work and the opportunity to pursue personal passions, but freelancing, whether on a full-time basis or as a side project, brings challenges that are not typically associated with full-time employed work, particularly when it comes to the question of taking time off.
The first challenge for many freelancers, and the one that is probably at the forefront of many people’s minds, is money. As anyone who has been reliant on a freelance income knows, taking time out means not receiving an income while still having to cover all of the usual costs, and this is even more apparent around this time of year when work tends to be quieter for many people yet there’s an increased expectation to attend social activities, buy gifts, and travel to see people.
Over and above this, there’s the fear of turning down work, which is very real for most freelancers. In addition to reluctance to lose out on income in the short term, many freelancers also hesitate to take time out in case things go quiet once back again. Plus, if you work with a regular set of clients then the possibility of a different person being assigned projects that you normally work on and then becoming the new go-to person is very real (and can often happen). All of this can often be tied to the idea of not wanting to disappoint people by being unavailable.
Lastly, if you freelance in an area that you love then you might genuinely be disappointed to miss out on working on interesting projects, particularly if that involves stretching yourself or learning something new.
In light of all of these considerations, it is not surprising that freelancers typically take less time off than employed people and are more likely to continue working even during designated periods of time off. If you’re a freelancer, then you probably know the feeling. At the same time, taking time out is important for mental and physical wellbeing, family connections and even boosting overall work productivity. There are no easy answers around how to create the optimum work-life balance as a freelancer, particularly if you’re financially dependent on your freelance income, but we’ll share some ideas below.
First of all, try to budget a certain amount of money to cover you for time when you'll not be working plus any expenditure you might incur during that interval such as training or travels. This is also a good habit to get into so that you can better insulate yourself against other financial shocks that you might be faced with in the future, such as having to take time out if you get sick. If you do work that's seasonal in nature then try to save up some money during periods of high demand so that you can take time off when it’s quieter. It’s also worth mentioning as a general point that it’s important to look after your personal financial wellbeing and avoid pressure to spend too much money during holiday seasons.
It’s also worth considering how to let your employees and contacts know about periods of unavailability. The sporadic nature of freelance work means that it can be tempting to avoid disclosing that you might be away, for fear of potentially losing work that you might actually end up wanting to do. This is probably part of the reason why 78% of freelancers reportedly work while on holiday. If you go down that path and decide to work during periods that you’d privately intended to take off, try to at least schedule some time out to enjoy and be present in your environment, and try to remind yourself not to feel guilty about doing nothing if you later have periods when you’re available again but don’t have work to do.
Think about what you’re willing to work through and what you’re not. If you’ve decided to take time out to travel alone or to deal with other non-work areas of your life such as household maintenance, you might be willing to tolerate accepting some freelance work, but if you have family or social commitments that you know about it advance and might not be able to work through then it is probably best to advise your contacts of these periods of unavailability in advance.
If you do decide to work during what was supposed to be time out and you won’t be in your usual home environment, try to consider factors such as time differences and internet availability when working out your capacity. If you decide to completely take time out altogether (in which case, good for you!) try to organise everything before you go away by setting out-of-office responders and nominating a point of contact or delegating work out if necessary.
Try to keep a sense of perspective about missing out on work, unless you’re financially dependent on your freelance income, and don’t feel guilty about taking time out for yourself. Remember that time away from your work activities is not only well-deserved but also necessary, and that taking time out is part of the overall productive process. In the words of the Freelancing Support web page, which publishes lots of useful resources for freelancers, you are your business’s most important asset.
If you feel really bad about not working, particularly if your freelancing is a passion project rather than a necessary side income, you might like to read and research around the industry you work in or meet up with freelancer contacts to share ideas, since one of the major benefits of taking time out is that it gives us time to reflect, connect with other people, and come up with new ideas.
Lastly, remind yourself that no matter how acute your work and financial needs are, you can never get time back, particularly time with other people. Even if you don’t feel able to take a structured break, at least try to find small moments for yourself and people around you if you can.
Most if not all freelancers find it challenging to take time out, and many of the solutions around this are compromises. Only you know best about how to approach taking a break but we hope these tips have given you something to think about, and if you have additional thoughts then we’d love to read them in the comments.
Stay mindful, and see you again for next month’s updates!
Sources
Freelancing Support
How to take a festive break as a freelancer
https://www.freelancing.support/resources/guide-to/how-to-take-a-festive-break-as-a-freelancer
Forbes | Edward Segal
What To Know About The Freelance Workforce As It Grows And Changes
IPSE | Joshua Toovey
How many freelancers are in the UK?
https://www.ipse.co.uk/articles/how-many-freelancers-are-in-the-uk
IPSE
Taking time off as a freelancer
https://www.ipse.co.uk/campaigns/mental-and-physical-wellbeing/taking-time-off-as-a-freelancer
0 comments