With the holiday season right around the corner, there also comes the all too common question amongst freelancers and other self-employed professionals out there: how am I going to balance work with the holiday?  Since most of us are workaholics, it’s normal to simply keep on working through the holiday with just a few short breaks to make an appearance at the festivities.  But what if there was a better way?  Spoiler alert: there is!  

Are you ready?  Okay, here it is: just stop working.  No, seriously.  What, don’t believe it’s that easy?  It can be.  Take a look for yourself.

The real deal about working the holiday

Whether you celebrate traditionally with presents and way too much eggnog, or you do something entirely different, everyone does something special over the holiday.  No matter what you do to pass the time, the holiday is the holiday and you deserve to enjoy it too.

In all seriousness, freelancers are constantly on the clock.  If we’re not working on a project, we’re sending off invoices, answering questions or working on revisions.  It’s a not-so-fun part of the job that we put up with almost year-round.

But when the holiday comes, push that expectation aside and focus these reminders when the guilt comes knocking at the door.

•  The work will be there when you get back: Your customers aren’t going to randomly dry up and go elsewhere because you refused to take on a job over the holiday.  And, if that is the case, then maybe it’s for the best.  Your projects, deadlines, customers and emails will all be waiting for you when you get back, so take some time to breathe and enjoy some well-deserved, long overdue downtime.
• Customers want a break too: You’re not the only one who wants to turn off their phone and enjoy some time with friends and family.  Even the most eager customer won’t fight too hard if you negotiate a deadline to fall after your time off has passed.  The holiday is pretty much the one time of year where even the pickiest customer can be negotiated into a longer deadline by the promise of sugar cookies and hot chocolate.
• You don’t need to lose out on business: This is the very best part for the freelancer that’s always worried about deterring a customer.  If you let everyone know ahead of time that you are taking off the holiday, you can work your deadlines and communication around it.  They’ll appreciate your clarity and you’ll appreciate the guilt-free freedom.

How to enjoy the holiday as a freelancer

Everyone has their way of dealing with the holiday season, and perhaps your version is working for you already. If so, congratulations!  You are in the 1%. If you are amongst the other 99%, however, consider the tips above to help you enjoy your holiday without feeling more hassled from the stress of making it all balance out evenly.  The whole point of the holiday is to actually, you know, enjoy it.  On that note, I’m  off to find myself some sugar cookies and hot chocolate.  Happy Holidays, everyone!  

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