There is much to be said for a strong work ethic, a “can do” attitude, and for persevering when you feel tired. But like with anything in life, it’s easy to take a good principle to an unhealthy extreme.
Freelancers need to realize that going on vacation is not merely enjoyable but also crucial to a wholesome life. And taking a holiday is possible—so long as you have a budget and excellent time management.
Life Lessons About Rest
I had to learn this lesson the hard way during my first year of teaching English. I have never been more exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically than I was that year. There was always so much to do that I would come home from school and continue working at night, grading papers and preparing lessons. I always worked on the weekend.
At the time, I did not realize just how important it is to have clear boundaries separating times of work and rest. It seems counterintuitive, but resting well is actually essential to working well. Rest rejuvenates people, enabling them to work more effectively than they would without it.
In fact, one study has found that employees who are intentional about resting increase their productivity significantly. These employees also stay with their companies longer than those who do not prioritize rest.
The lesson was difficult, but I have since learned just how crucial it is to have a rhythm of rest in my life. Such a rhythm means planning appropriate amounts of down time throughout each day, week, and year.
Something else that I’ve learned since I have been self-employed is the powerful influence of environment. Probably most of us identify with needing to “get away” for a little while from the place where we normally live.
You might not even be aware that you need to get away. But once you’ve taken a little time at the beach or the mountains, you realize after you get home that you feel rejuvenated as a result of your break.
The Freelancing Pitfall
Now that I’m freelancing, I find it somewhat easier to rest well in light of what I learned as a teacher. However, the flexibility of setting my own schedule can certainly make it difficult to set clear times only for work or only for rest. I believe that this challenge is one many freelancers face.
This is not to mention the fact that if you’re freelancing it’s quite possible you’re not rolling in dough. Vacations, especially international ones, can be expensive. Unlike a salaried employee, if you decide to take time off, you’re making no income.
And perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this freelancing pitfall is how easy it is to feel like you have to be in touch with your clients all the time. You fear that if you take yourself off the grid, everything you’ve been working on will come crashing down.
You Can Vacation! But You’ll Need to Plan, Plan, Plan
You’re going to need to be very organized with your time and money in order to rest well when you take your vacation.
Travel Agents
Planning your vacation well in advance and budgeting will help you to save money in the long run. But it’s also a good idea to use a travel agent when planning your holiday.
You might wonder who on earth still uses a travel agent in an age when you can go online and book just about anything yourself. Believe it or not, a lot of people do still use travel agents, especially millennials.
In fact, the people who are most likely to use travel agents are those who are trying to stay on a budget. Travel agents have a wealth of knowledge and can help you find the best deals. They can also assist you when something unexpected disrupts your holiday.
TravelPay
In addition to using a travel agent, a unique resource that can help you save money is TravelPay. Have you ever heard of a layaway plan for travel? I hadn’t, until I came across this company. TravelPay offers “layby” plans, which is the Australian term for layaway. The company helps you to minimize your expenses by allowing you to pay for your vacation ahead of time. You can do so in installments, instead of all at once—and without any interest.
There is an initial fee of $100, but otherwise TravelPay requires no additional charges for its services. Americans wouldn’t be able to find this solution because we would never search for “layby.” Right now, TravelPay is for Australians only, but we can hope the company expands to the U.S. soon.
Should you be fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of TravelPay, you’ll need to find a travel agent who works with the company. Then you can decide how many installments you want to use to pay for your trip. You can spread the cost of the vacation throughout two to six months, depending on what works best for you.
Another extremely helpful feature is that for those traveling in a different country, the company locks in that nation’s exchange rate at the time of purchase. So if you’re happy with the exchange rate in the country to which you’re headed, you can use TravelPay to pay for your vacation at that rate ahead of time.
I’ve traveled in Europe when the euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate definitely favored the euro. It was expensive. But by locking in the exchange rate, you don’t have to worry that the price of your trip will skyrocket when it rolls around.
Planning Your Work
If you plan ahead well, you can structure your work in such a way that you don’t take it with you on your holiday. Writer Deborah Anderson presents three helpful tips for how bloggers, for example, can write and plan their posts in advance and achieve maximum holiday relaxation.
I would also emphasize not bringing devices (such as your laptop) that you normally use for work. If you have no choice and have to bring, say, your smartphone, be extremely intentional about how you use it.
Turn off your notifications from work-related apps. When you can, keep your phone in another room on “do not disturb.” Decide not to take any work-related calls. Don’t be a slave to the so-called “tyranny of the urgent.”
Done Right, Travel Is Restful and Enriching
Vacations are essential, both for your emotional and physical well-being. With strategic scheduling, good client communication, and budgeting, you can dodge the freelancing pitfall of always having to work. We all need true breaks now and then—whether we realize we do or not.
Jessica Mouser
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Nice piece here, very informative. I have been involved with freelancing and I know how daunting it could be. Your points are well on track and will serve as an eye opener to freelancers and others who might consider venturing into freelancing. Thanks for sharing
You have to learn to set time for yourself as well as work. A balanced life equals more success for both.
Agreed!
It is really important to take a break from work and spend a “me-time” once in a while. This helps you recharge your energy and increase your creativity.
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I certainly agree with that.
Thanks for this post! I fully agree that planning is a head of the working process. Only with planning we can find time for the rest, that is very necessary. Thanks once more for your recommendations!
No problem, and thank you!
Ah yes, vacations. I remember those! On the other side of the coin, if you are employing freelancers or small companies, your lead contact will at some point need to take some time off. Assuming they’ve made good provision for your account to be covered while they’re away, please don’t guilt trip them about it – I really appreciate my clients who are understanding when I can’t be available for them 24/7, and try to do the same for freelancers we work with!
Happy holidays everyone 🙂
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Hi Kate,
Yes, great clients make life a lot easier. Freelancers have to learn to deal with unreasonable people. I tell them they must put their priorities in order and if clients sometimes have to wait, that is just how it has to be.
Any client who won’t let you put your health or family first is a client you can replace.
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That’s a great point, Kate. Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting article thanks for the tip..”At the time, I did not realize just how important it is to have clear boundaries separating times of work and rest. It seems counterintuitive, but resting well is actually essential to working well. Rest rejuvenates people, enabling them to work more effectively than they would without it.”
Great post! We work with freelancers from time to time and on the most part their work rate is perfect.
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Keep up the good work!
Thanks!
Nice read although I thought it was something else when I saw the headline and featured image. Duh
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I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Jessica !
Thanks for your sharing so much. Sometimes, I am very tired with my freelance jobs and want to give up. But, I can’t
You’re welcome. Don’t give up!
Hi,
As a freelancer myself I know how hard it can get if you don’t plan your work going through that phase right now 🙁
Sorry to hear that! I hope you come out of that phase soon.
Great Info , about life experince thanks for sharing such a great information with us , I will suggest my friends too this kind of post or article about holidays etc
Thanks, and thanks for sharing!
Well done Jessica,
So finally some one spoke about the value of rest and taking a break from hectic freelance life. Thumbs up for drawing attention to an important factor of life.
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Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this valuable and informative Post. I work as a freelancer, and yes, I also had these queries in my mind since I began. You are right that we must make plans before going on vacations. Thank you again for your blog.
You’re very welcome!
There are always some benefits and disadvantages of every thing but it is good to take rest for some time and enjoy the life.
I agree!
Hello Jessica,
Indeed, resting and sometimes taking brake from work can help a person greatly. Your work productivity will increase with a fresh mind and new ideas.
Nice article everybody should read and learn from.
Happy holiday
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Thanks, and same to you!
Hi Jessica.
thanks for sharing valuable information about freelance opportunities in to world.yes most of bloggers are fully depend upon freelancer for generate regular content.in coming day freelancer have good demand in coming days.
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You’re welcome!
Very interesting article. I am always trying to keep my mind in this state: “I have a truly useful service that benefits people, and I feel no shame in pulling out every trick in the consumer psychology book to sell it.
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I’m glad you found the post enjoyable!
Hi Jessica! It is true that we as freelancers need to take some time off and your travel plans and how to reduce expenses is really wonderful. Very helpful indeed.
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Glad to hear that!
Hi Jessica,
You are right that we must make plans before going for vacations. In short it is a helpful post.
Thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas and happy new year.
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You’re welcome and same to you!
I’m into freelancing from last 1 year and I’m really happy working as a freelancer. Rest is important and becomes essential after a particular time. So, Go out on vacation and enjoy the nature.
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Hi Jessica,
Thanks for the sharing. This guide to the life freelancing is very useful to others too.
Hi Jessica i totally agree with you on this that you should go on a vacation as it is crucial and this maintains a work-life balance. You come back refreshed, recharged and ready to go. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article.
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I agree, you need to learn how to separate work from pleasure. If you have a strong work-ethic, it can be difficult. Once convinced to go on vacation, I was amazed at how refreshed and creative I became. It really is important to “recharge” your batteries.
I just came back from a cruise last week! Yes, I used a travel agent, and because if I don’t work, I don’t get paid; it was necessary to plan ahead of time. For me it was 9 months.
Even if you can’t afford to take a long vacation, I would suggest taking a long weekend. If you can, once a a quarter. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just fun.
Hey Jessica,
Thanks for sharing this guide to the life, as Ravi said, freelancing is now days best business on internet. But without rest every thing losing throughput. I don’t compromise my health with business. Thanks for this precious advice for beginners.
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Hey Jessica,
Freelancing is one of the best works in today’s online market and people are really into it. But the thing is how are they going to avoid this freelancing pitfall?
Rest is important but only if you have planned it. I like who you have elaborated the plans for a holiday including the travel schedules.
~Ravi
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