Working as a online freelancer is not always easy. Some weeks, you may work nonstop. Other times, you might have little to no work. With an unpredictable schedule, freelancers often struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance that considers their needs. The following tips can help freelancers maintain boundaries with their work, allowing them to prioritize their health and social life.

Designate Days Off

While people working a typical 9-5 job can look forward to the weekend, freelancers are not always so lucky. However, designating specific days off each week can help a freelancer maintain a normal schedule. If your work is not predictable, try setting aside a few specific dates each month to rest and recuperate. You can, and should, set expectations with your clients about your days off, according to USA Today. Whether you take off individual days or a longer period of time every few months, communicating your intentions for personal time can allow you to set positive boundaries with your clients. This means happier clients and more free time for you.

Schedule Working Hours

One reason why freelancers often feel overworked is due to working erratic hours. Yet, one benefit of freelancing is the ability to set your own schedule. Do you often find that you are productive in the morning? How about the afternoon, evening, or night? Creative Circle recommends utilizing your peak hours to your advantage. Setting your working hours during your individual peak times ensures you are prepared to give your all without forcing yourself to work when you are fatigued. Then, it is important to follow these working hours strictly. Unless you are up against a quick deadline, remind yourself that you always have tomorrow to finish your work.

Create a Self-Care Checklist

Self-care can be easily neglected by freelancers in favor of work, leading to an unhealthy lifestyle. Freelancers should set aside time to exercise, get enough sunlight (or take regular vitamins), and ensure they are fueling their body with nutritious food. As Entrepreneur puts it, “Healthy work habits require healthy daily habits.” If you struggle to remember the necessities, a self-case checklist could help.

At the beginning of each week, build a self-care checklist that includes each self-care task you need to accomplish within the next 7 days. You can keep it basic, including items like eating a healthy meal, exercising for 30 minutes, or journaling. However, including fun tasks like having a board game night, pampering yourself with at-home spa day, or watching the TV show you have been dying to see can ensure your social and relaxation needs are met, too.

Build a “Not-To-Do” List

If you manage your time, you are likely familiar with the to-do list. But, have you heard of a “not-to-do” list? This concept, explained by Spica, allows freelancers to focus on the tasks they must complete, while ignoring, delegating, or saying no to tasks that take away from their work. For example, if it takes you several hours to do your estimated quarterly taxes, that is time that you could have used to work on income-generating projects. The opportunities you lose may be worth more than the cost of hiring a professional to complete your taxes for you. Thus, you should put “complete estimated taxes” on your “not-to-do” list. Consider which tasks crop up regularly that take a significant amount of time and build out your list to ensure you can outsource or say no to tasks that are not worth your time.

Freelance work can be tough, but Freelance Mojo is here to help. To take your freelance career to the next level, contact us today!