Summer officially starts this Friday… not that we haven’t been enjoying plenty of warm weather already.
With plenty of sunny days stretching out ahead of us, I want to take a moment to dig into a topic that’s often ignored by freelancers, but that’s too important to overlook…
Taking some time off and having a little fun.
As a freelancer, doing this without missing deadlines, interrupting your income, or stressing yourself out can be a tall order.
But with a little planning, it’s an order you can fill. And the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Summer Is Ideal for More Time Off
First, a note about summer…
Summer can be a weird time for freelancers. A lot of industries take a little dip during the summer… up to a 10 percent drop in web traffic. And for brick-and-mortar businesses, there can be a slow-down in foot traffic. Obviously, businesses in the travel and outdoor sports industries experience a pickup in the summer months, but for most businesses, the summer slowdown is a thing.
That means it might be a thing for your freelance-writing business, too. (Hang in there… business will start flowing your way again in September.)
Rather than seeing this summer slowdown as a negative, let’s flip the script and make it a positive… an opportunity for you to enjoy a little more free time, and not just during a week-long vacation, but throughout your summer.
Think more days spent hiking, picnicking, movie-going, swimming, or bargain hunting….
Guilt-Free Summer Fun
Now, before you start feeling guilty about taking extra days off or telling yourself you don’t have the time, I want to flip the script on that, too.
When you take more time off and make it a point to relax and enjoy yourself, some really good things happen for your business.
During your on-hours, you’ll enjoy more focus and get more done in less time… the quality of your work will probably be better, too. When you take breaks — whether it’s short breaks during the day or days off during the week — you give your brain a chance to consider the things you’ve learned recently, new ideas, connections between ideas, problems, and possible solutions. In short, relaxing makes you more productive.
Relaxing also helps you be more creative. During time off, you can enjoy new experiences and spend time daydreaming, both of which you can draw on for new ideas and creative solutions to problems.
When you do nothing at all — like when you go to the park and just sit under a tree for a while — you switch on your brain’s “imagination network,” which is the mode you need to be in to make creative leaps or to come up with innovative approaches to projects.
Finally, taking time off will make your work feel more satisfying. I can attest to this from personal experience. When I’m diligent about taking a four-day weekend every quarter or so, I’m more focused, I don’t experience stress in the same way, I enjoy my work more, and I’m just a more content person overall.
So hopefully, I’ve convinced you of the value of taking some time off and that summer is an optimal time to build that habit… now let’s get back to the nuts and bolts of how you can step away from work without feeling preoccupied or like you’re running behind.
3 Ways You Can Enjoy Summer Fun Without Falling Behind
When it comes to enjoying the summer and all it has to offer — without letting deadlines slip and without stressing yourself out — you can take a few different approaches. Each one has its benefits… and different needs for making it happen.
The Mid-Week Break
One of the problems with trying to pack all your summer fun into your weekends is that most everybody else is trying to do the same thing. So, if you’re planning a picnic at the park or a day by the lake, and you show up at 10 a.m. on a Saturday, it can feel like the whole city is there with you.
If you don’t like crowds, it’s not exactly the relaxing experience you were going for.
But good news… you’re a freelancer!
That means you can head to the lake or the park for the day on a Tuesday or Wednesday. You’ll enjoy much smaller crowds and be able to get more out of the whole experience. These are also great days to visit the zoo, explore local museums and tourist attractions, go to an escape room, or get in a round of golf.
You can prepare for this kind of time off one of two ways…
You can add a little bit of time to your workday each day of the week to compensate for your time off. Or you can plan to work on Saturday or Sunday in exchange for taking a day off during the week.
The only other thing to do is to let your clients know a week ahead of time that you’ll be out of the office that day. That way, if they try to get in touch with you, they’ll be prepared for your out-of-office message.
Summer Fun… Every Day
Another way to have more fun during the summer is to incorporate it into most, if not all, of your days.
Make a list of things you like to do during the summer… things like…
- Going for a hike
- Playing disc golf or pickleball
- Taking in an outdoor concert
- Going for a swim
- Taking a long walk with a friend
- Visiting local vineyards or brewpubs
- Riding your bike
Gauge if most of the things on your list are better in the cool hours of the morning or in the warm sun of the afternoon.
Based on what you decide, shift your work schedule for the summer.
Say most of your favorite summer activities are best in the morning when it’s still cool. Try starting your workday two hours later… and then go have fun until that time!
Or, if you lean toward activities that are better when it’s a little hotter, try starting your day a couple hours earlier, so you can knock off closer to 2 p.m.
You can also split your day. You could work from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., go have some fun until 2 p.m., and put in another three hours of work to wrap up by 5 p.m.
This approach doesn’t require much in the way of workflow management or setting client expectations. You just change your work hours to summer hours… and then do more of what you love!
Take Those Long Weekends
At least once or twice during the summer, I highly recommend taking a four-day weekend.
The key for this to pay off — in my experience — is to have a plan for how you’ll spend the four days. I usually set a theme. My most common theme is day hikes. I get up early each day, drive an hour or two to a trailhead, hike for three or four hours, and then head home to relax and read for the rest of the day.
But I’ve also done water weekends, video game weekends, and puzzle weekends.
To make a four-day weekend happen, it works best when you plan at least a month ahead. Put the weekend on your calendar and let your clients know the time off is coming up.
Two weeks out, be sure to remind them. And then remind them again at the beginning of your short week.
The other thing to do is take a close look at what’s on your plate, as far as work goes.
Make a plan to get two days ahead. Try doing a little extra each day to avoid creating stress for yourself. Getting two days ahead over the course of four weeks is pretty easy, as long as you think it through.
And then, because you’ve only taken two days off, getting back into the swing of work after your long weekend is super simple. You might have a few extra emails to catch up on, but that’s about it.
Summer is a great time to get out and have a little extra fun. And that’s part of the joy of being a freelancer — that you have the freedom to play with your schedule, so you can make that happen. Take full advantage this summer, and I bet you’ll discover that not only does your work not suffer… it’s actually better for the effort.
