Contract Worker - Freelancing Experiences

Freelancers Can Take a Break Anytime They Want

by Rico on July 17th, 2007

For anyone making a living, such as freelancers and contract workers, seemingly insurmountable backlogs and never-ending to-do lists are a fact of life. Still, constantly staying on top of everything can drive a person mad. All work and no play, aside from boredom, also causes insanity.

That’s why we all have days off. A day or two away from work is a wonderful break from the stress and urgency of our daily lives. A day off is also the perfect way to disconnect from everything and everybody, to enjoy the solitude of your own thoughts.

Sometimes, the need for a day off appears as randomly as a novice hitting the bulls-eye. That’s quite a problem if you’re working a day job, subject to a strict schedule imposed by others. You’ll have to wait for the weekend. And by the time Saturday arrives, the need may have already subsided.

But if you’re a freelancer or contract worker in full control of your schedule, you can enjoy days off as the need arises. Of course, some restraint is required. If most of your time is spent taking a break, rather than getting anything done, there’s obviously something wrong with that. If you’ve also scheduled some appointments for the day, then it makes sense to be on time for them.

Yet the ability to call time-outs whenever you want is a perk rarely found in the corporate world. And it doesn’t even have to be an entire day. Say your draft is due at the end of the day. Originally, you planned to finish that first thing in the morning, but some things requiring your immediate attention came up. By the time you get through with them, you’re mentally drained. Luckily, the deadline is still a few hours away. You can decide to take a short nap to recharge your batteries, before finally get that draft done. Does such flexibility exist in the office?

In short, whenever the need for a day off or a break comes up, it won’t be a problem if you’re a freelancer or contract worker in full control of your schedule. That’s because you can reschedule things as you see fit, as you don’t have to report to anyone directly. Just make sure this doesn’t limit your ability to fulfill your commitments! As long as you’ve got that base covered, you’ll be enjoying yet another perk of freelancing.

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POSTED IN: Living as a Freelancer, What's Great About Freelancing