“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” That advice from singer Dolly Parton is hard to follow when you work for yourself as an online freelancer. You love your work, and no one makes you clock out. However, like all people, you need to rest, recharge, and take care of your personal business and relationships. Fortunately, you can follow these daily habits to achieving a work-life balance.
Begin the Day Your Way
Resist the urge to start working as soon as you sit up in bed. Acknowledge your soul in your before-work routine. If you pray, take this time to do so; if you meditate, then make time to meditate. Before sitting for several hours, stretch your body with a short workout, such as yoga poses or a brief walk. Then listen to something that stimulates you, whether that is music, news, or a podcast. If you live with people, talk to them without mentioning work.
Start Work on Time, Even if it is Your Time
When you are your own boss, you could start work each day at any time, even at different times on different days, depending on your mood. A better strategy is to choose a work start time, based on your most productive time of day. For many, that is in the morning. However, other people are more alert at in the evening. Once you realize which schedule works for you, only deviate from it as necessary.
Minimize Distractions, then Focus on Productivity
As you transition to your work time, temporarily ignore messages from your personal life. This includes emails, news alerts, social media, and phone calls (except for emergency alerts). Consider putting your personal cell phone on mute during your work hours. You can change the phone settings to do this automatically. With fewer distractions, you can turn your attention to working. That can include checking some messages—those that are related to work, for instance, emails from clients and comments on the social media accounts for your business.
Take Work Breaks Seriously
Build break times into your schedule, and then actually take them. Technology, including fitness trackers and cell phone calendars, can remind you to move away from your desk. For those minutes, stop thinking about work. Resist the urge to spend most of the break checking your cell phone. Exercise your eyes and your legs by looking out the window or going outside.
End Your Workday on Time
Just as you designate a starting time, you designate an ending time to your workday. Near the end of the workday, add the tasks you would not have finished to a to-do list for the next day. Allow yourself to make exceptions, such as working late to meet a tight deadline. However, do not keep working just because you still have things to do.
The hours between your workdays are for your personal life. This is the time you have to do things for yourself and for your loved ones and to enjoy life. Once you have begun the day your way, started on time, ended on time, and been productive in between, allowing for breaks, you will approach a realistic work-life balance. To learn more about the freelance life, contact us.
