It’s not uncommon for people to hear or read the phrase “it’s a gig economy.” This saying is prevalent because this working style has grown astronomically popular, with an estimated 1.5 billion people freelancing worldwide in 2024.
Many people are drawn to this work style because of the flexibility it offers their schedules, but as with any job, concern about developing a healthy work-life balance inevitably comes up. If you’re a freelancer or considering becoming one, you can implement a few practices to set you up for a healthier and more fulfilling work-life balance, like setting working hours, prioritizing rest, and practicing self-care.
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Set Working Hours
While freelancing gives you the flexibility to work when and where you want, having dedicated work hours can help you use your time more efficiently. This enables you to devote time to projects without them taking over your entire schedule (because it will always feel like you can tweak or add a little something to your work) and gives you dedicated free time where you can step away from work guilt-free.
For some, dedicated work hours might be starting and ending their workday at the same time each day, while for others, it might be choosing times at the beginning of each week based on other factors impacting their schedule, such as getting kids to and from school or making it to an appointment or client meeting.
Take Breaks
While we’re on the subject of setting work hours, it’s also important to remember that frequent breaks can benefit your productivity. Breaks help you reduce issues like decision fatigue and feelings of burnout while improving your creativity, concentration, and mental health.
While setting your work hours, consider when you’ll take breaks and for how long. Will you have set times when you walk away from your desk, or will it be as you accomplish a section of a project? Having this decided before you start working helps prevent you from losing your workflow or running into decision paralysis during your workday. Take your time to step away from your laptop (unless you want to do something unrelated like explore the best online slots), have a snack or meal, or go for a short walk.
Take Time Off
Just as taking breaks during your workday can improve productivity, so can taking a day or two off every now and then. It can be hard when you’re caught up in completing work and seeking out new projects to take on or clients to work with, but scheduling time off, even if just to take a day to yourself with no work commitments, can help you rest and come back refreshed.
Set and Communicate Boundaries
While setting work hours is one way of setting boundaries between your work and personal life, setting boundaries around communication with clients, deliverables, and timelines is essential, too. It helps you establish what to expect from your clients (and what they can expect from you), and it also helps to protect you and your time so that you can show up as your best self for your clients.
Other ways to help yourself set and protect boundaries as a freelancer may include having a separate work and personal phone and computer so that you’re not tempted to check on work during your off time. This allows you to completely step away from work-related items in your spare time so that you can return feeling more productive and clear-minded.
Build a Professional Network
Freelancing has many benefits, but it can be isolating work. Joining a professional network, online or in person, is an excellent way to get support, feedback, and advice from others in a similar situation. This can be an encouraging way to keep you motivated and approach problem-solving, and it may even lead to new project opportunities. People need people, and networking as a freelancer can help you excel at your work as an individual.
Use To-Do Lists
When it comes to getting your work done efficiently and effectively, a to-do list can help you organize your time and prioritize the most pressing tasks. Using a pen and paper is a simple way to start this, but there are also many platforms and apps that allow you to shape lists and projects to keep track of your work needs. Some freelancers like to use a mobile platform to update or add to their to-do lists on the go.
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care comes in many different forms, but at the most basic level, it’s about doing tasks that care for your health and well-being, like getting plenty of sleep, exercising, and eating well. Setting aside time to ensure you fit these self-care practices into your routine protects your health and ability to work well. Dedicating time to these practices helps you prevent burnout, manage stress, have more focus, and give you more confidence. Prioritizing self-care also has many other benefits for your personal life, making it well worth the time and effort.
Reflect and Make Changes
Part of maintaining a work-life balance is reviewing how these practices work for you. Regularly review your routine and assess what’s working well in finding balance and where you could improve. Look at how you can implement changes to support your goals and needs in your personal and work life and create an action plan.
Remember that sometimes, even with our best efforts, things will fall out of equilibrium. Being flexible and diligent when these times come and prepared to change or adapt to new projects, clients, or other freelance business needs will help you find balance again.
Conclusion
Grasping and incorporating the above practices for maintaining a work-life balance can help you start or continue your freelancing career with your best foot forward to deliver quality work while still enjoying your personal life to the fullest.