How to Take Vacation When Youre a Freelancer

How to Take Vacation When Youre a FreelancerHow to Take Vacation When Youre a FreelancerEvery worker needs a vacation, a time to recharge your batteries, let your stress levels sink back to tolerable levels, and just plain give your brain and body a rest. When youre a freelancer, you might need a vacation more than most- the very nature of your job means that you can wind up working 24/7, when people who work for employers are enjoying those mysterious things known as weekends and holidays. The challenge, of course, is how to make it happen. When you work for yourself, there are no bosses to approve your time off, but also no co-workers to pick up the slack while youre gone ... and no payroll department to keep those checks coming while youre catching some rays. You might be forgiven for thinking that taking a vacation is impossible in your situation, but the good news is that its really notlage. To pull it off, though, youll need to do a little extra work to make things go smoothly. Heres how. Tips for Taking Vacation When Youre a Freelancer Plan Ahead as Much as PossibleThe farther ahead you can plan, the better. This doesnt mean that you cant ever spontaneously take a long weekend, but for those one- and two-week breaks- the kind that really give you the chance to unwind youll want to plan as far in advance as you can. Vacationing as a freelancer often means putting in more hours ahead of your vacation, and then burning the midnight oil for a bit when you return. Dont make it harder on yourself by trying to do it all on the spur of the moment. More importantly, your clients will appreciate the notice. Working as a contractor is all about maintaining relationships with the people who hire you, and that means being reliable and conscientious and considerate of their needs and goals. Give them a heads up as soon as you can. Theyll appreciate it. Make a Budget Possibly the biggest bummer in the freelance life is the lack of paid time off. Lessen the financi al hit by making a budget when you make your plans. That way, youll know exactly what youll need to pay for your vacation and absorb the loss of income that results from not working during your time away. If you crunch the numbers, and things come up short, dont give up on your vacation dreams. Sometimes a staycation can be just as relaxing- as long as you commit to not sneakily checking schmelzglas when youre supposed to be catching some rays on your patio. Ask for HelpDo you have freelancer pals in your field? Nows the time to use them. Over the years, Ive formed sort of informal coop arrangements with friends of mine in the writing and editing space I cover for them when they go on holiday, and they cover for me when I do the same. Of course, the most important considerations when making these types of deals with colleagues are reliability and skill. You need to make sure that their work will reflect well on you so that you dont have to spend your first days back unsnarling a mes s and mending the damage to your client-freelancer relationship. If you dont have day-to-day projects that need looking after, you might be fine without arranging formal coverage for your time off. Just make sure that you let your clients know what to expect, in terms of whether youll be answering email (my advice dont), taking phone calls (ditto), etc. Communicate With Your Clients and Then Communicate Some MoreThis is a situation in which more communication is better than less. Send your clients an email as soon as youre planning to take time off, even if you havent chosen the exact dates yet, and follow up when you know precisely when youll be away. Then send a reminder a week or so before your vacation, reminding them of your coverage plans and asking if there are any last-minute details theyd like you to attend to before you take off. Finally, put up an email away message while youre gone, so that anyone who wasnt on the initial email chain wont think youre ignoring them. Most Importantly Understand That You Need and Deserve a VacationIf youve read this far, you might be reconsidering whether or not its even worth it to take a vacation. It is. In addition to the myriad health and productivity benefits that time off provides, it also reminds you of why you became a freelancer in the first place to be free to enjoy your life, to the extent that most people just cant achieve. Bottom line you deserve a vacation. Plan ahead, communicate considerately and effectively with your clients and enjoy your time off. Youve earned it.