It’s no secret that freelancing is associated with freedom and is perceived as a great way to achieve a work-life balance. This is because it comes with a lot of flexibility in every aspect – be it the location, the work hours or the kind of people you want to work with.
What is not spoken enough about is the challenge of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Freelancers trying to make a name in the industry often find the lines between work and life getting blurred as their work starts spilling in their personal time.
Achieving a healthy work-life balance whilst continuing to be productive is crucial for a freelancer in order to be successful. We have listed below some tips to achieve that :
- Don’t overextend:
As a freelancer you decide what work you take on and what you decline. At the same time, you need a reality check about how much you can handle at a time. More work means more money; but overcommitting can be disastrous.
Taking up work more than what you are capable of doing at a certain point will make you miserable and deteriorate the quality of work you produce. Learn to politely say No when you are genuinely swamped with work.
- Create a productive workspace :
The best part about working from home is that you can work from your bed in your pajamas. But the comfort of a bed or a couch makes you lazy over time and certainly hampers your productivity.
Find a clutter-free spot and create a workstation. It helps you identify the seriousness of work and concentrate better. Once you are done for the day and leave your work space, you will appreciate heading back to the comfort of your bed more than ever.
- Know your worth :
Freelancers often feel obliged to reduce their prices in order to get new clients onboard or to retain clients. But working at lower than your worth can quickly become exasperating because you are expected to do much more for a much smaller price.
For a healthy balance, know your worth and stand for it. It is okay to give a free temporary trial but do not agree to work for free because what’s free for a client will never be free for you.
- Set boundaries:
This is very important to ensure you are not neglecting your personal life. Being a freelancer, you may forget to set and maintain boundaries which may lead to clients expecting you to be available anytime of the day.
You must be clear about the hours you are available in order to avoid work spilling into your family time. Also, once you’ve signed off for the day, do not indulge into any work conversations or emails unless absolutely necessary.
- Maintain a schedule:
This may be a cliché advice but having a schedule significantly helps in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It’s easy to lose track of time doing unnecessary things when you don’t have a boss watching you. Hence it is crucial to develop a work ethic and adhere to it.
Schedule your day in advance so you have something to look forward to the next morning. You can use a time tracking software to keep a track of how you spend your time. This helps you to schedule tasks better and organize your day more efficiently.
Conclusion:
It is very important for a freelancer to remember why exactly they started freelancing in the first place. It lets you be your own boss and have better control over your life. This understanding can help you to give equal importance to both your personal and professional life and balance them more efficiently.
