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Taking the ‘free’ in freelancing seriously: My time off for mental health

Updated: Jul 16


Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

I’m writing this piece on my fourth day of freelancing vacation. Yes, you read that correctly. I, a 9-to-5er with a side hustle took a break from my online work. Quite frankly, I was burnt out and it was having a negative impact on my mental, emotional and physical health.


It’s not easy to juggle two ‘brain jobs’ as I like to call them.


I saw myself missing meals, ordering takeout instead of cooking healthy meals, not exercising, not doing yoga, not making use of the summer weather to do my nature walks, procrastinating, writing non-enthusiastically, staying up extremely late to do work because I was able to concentrate and finish on time, neglecting my business blog and social media accounts, neglecting my plan to work on a new business idea and even contemplating quitting freelancing.


Finally, my full-time job slowed down a bit, and I was able to extend a long weekend by two days and decided to take seven days off freelancing around the same time. I had a long list of things to do around my lovely apartment that I had been neglecting. I even told my best friend that I can’t wait to get these things done while I am off. Her comment? “Falon, you know you won’t do anything.”


And as my darling mother would say, “So said, so done.” The only thing I have done is laundry, cook healthy meals, ease myself back into my full-time job, read and enjoy the quietness of my work email as our clients in the U.S. enjoy the July 4th holiday.


In these four days, I’ve had some time to think, and I realized that this is the first time I have taken a break from freelancing with this company since 2022. Only one word came to me during this ‘eureka’ moment: UNHEALTHY.


Afterwards, I felt like kicking myself for overworking my precious brain. But I calmed down and gave God thanks for the break and made up my mind to revert to old habits upon return to work:


  • Use Sundays to plan my tasks from Monday to the following Sunday.

  • Don’t procrastinate.

  • Reattempt to wrap up evening work by nine and go to bed by 10.

  • Complete freelance work the day before.

  • Exercise, yoga and nature walks.

  • Read a minimum of one book for the month. I’m already halfway through one for July 😊.

  • Strategically plan my vacations for the rest of the year.

  • Create a work and cooking routine and stick to it.


You might be saying “But these are regular things.” Yes, they are, but I fell off the course and rolled down the hill, hitting everything in my path far away from me. At least, this is how it felt to me. The older I get, the more responsibilities I get and the more I realize that I need structure. My structure was upended, and it wasn't pretty.


I’m at the age where I must check my calendar before committing to social hangouts, family visits, and personal and medical appointments…I’m not old; I’m just busy. And I am glad because there was a time when I wasn’t. That's a story for another blog if I ever find the courage.


This post is to encourage my freelancing family to take breaks more regularly. It is not impossible, and it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. The 'free' in freelancing means you have the freedom to create your own schedule - NOT that your work should take up all your free time.


Now, my writing energy spurt is leaving me so before I go dearest gentle freelancers, here are some tips to help you prep for a well-needed vacation:


  • Don’t think about the money you’ll lose. You’ll make it back.

  • Look at dates when you can also be away from your main job. This is very important.

  • Complete outstanding and if necessary, do extra for the time that you will be away.

  • Outsource the work if you need to.

  • Give your clients a month’s or two weeks’ notice but reassure them that their business won’t be affected.

  • Book those dates, honey!



This blog is a mini outlet for my ramblings about my experience as a 9-to-5er by day and hustler by night. I pen my thoughts with the hopes that others will feel encouraged and find some useful tidbits here and there. I don’t claim to know it all because I’m not perfect, so please share your feedback.


Do you have questions or a topic that you want me to write about? Send me an email!

 

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