As a freelancer, the holidays are not a time of sure-received slowness but of stressful, beautiful, and sometimes overwhelming deadlines. There’s a need for holiday content, holiday designs, holiday system updates, end of the year e-commerce push and notifications, and the list is endless. Traditional 9-to-5ers might have holiday breaks, but for freelancers, that may not be the case. On the other side is the personal pull of the need to be with the family for the family celebrations and the need for downtime and relaxation. But freelancers need to embrace a freelance work-life balance that lets them do their holiday season work while still getting the best out of the holiday season. 

Balancing these two worlds can be like trying to keep two glass balls in the air at the same time. Catch the work ball, and you lose money; catch the life ball, and you lose out on memories. So how can we have both balls successfully flying in the air? 

A state of true work-life balance during this period of your life doesn’t mean working fewer hours; it’s all about working smart and creating boundaries around your schedule and life effectively. This article carefully unveils all of the secrets and tips you can use in your life to achieve that freelance work-life balance you so desire. 

The Art of  Mastering Your Schedule

In the busy season, a strict schedule with set times, such as the traditional nine to five routine, typically isn’t practical or even realistic for a freelancer especially if you work with clients with multiple time zones. The answer is to build a flexible, realistic, and highly strategic schedule where you focus on prioritizing yourself.

Prioritizing People Over Projects: The key to successful time management begins with making appointments with people and activities before allocating your timeslots with work-related projects. Go back to your calendar now. Is it a family dinner? Cultural festivities? A school program? Those dates can be taken out from work meetings. 

The Power Hour Allocation: Allocate no more than one hour each day to email and administrative matters. Most clients understand that everything goes into slow motion during the holiday season. 

Use the Word “No”: To keep your balance, you have to become well-acquainted with the most precious word in the freelancer’s lexicon, “No”. A new client may offer a massive deal with a Christmas Eve deadline, but it is in your hands to turn them down or charge them a sky-high fee, which will make it worthwhile. Avoid any job that will contribute to a busy Christmas.

 Set Professional Boundaries: Your flexibility as a freelancer is your most valuable asset and can be your worst enemy. You don’t have an office door to close, so you must establish strong professional boundaries that your clients will honour.

 Prioritize Self-Care: Many freelancers mistake taking a break for being unproductive. However, the festive season is the perfect time and occasion for taking up the most productive thing that you can do.

Financial Prep for Holiday Season 

Financial stress is one of the biggest causes of imbalances and stress, as many freelancers want to make enough money to settle bills. You need to make financial preparations that give you peace of mind if you seek a freelance work-life balance. 

One major way to get all your finances in check is to pursue all outstanding payments and begin invoicing for anything that has been completed by mid-December. Corporate finance teams often wrap up early, and you don’t want to be chasing payments in January.

When you are going to take a complete week’s holiday, make sure that you save or earn enough in the previous weeks to meet all of your expenditures. This will eliminate the financial regret that makes you check your phone under the dining table. Having a buffer to spend is the best tip for work-life balance.

Final Thoughts

Through a strategic time-blocking policy and setting strict career boundaries and personalized self-care time, you can survive and shine during this year-end chaos! Always keep in mind that it’s a freelancer’s job to be highly effective while working and fully present while not working. These tips will go a long way in helping you live up to your commitment level to your customers and, much more so, to your loved ones. Now go on and have a freelance work-life balance this festive season. Join our community of freelancers for more freelancing tips.