When to take breaks from your Freelance Writing
As a freelance writer you will be in front of your computer, hour after hour, day after day. With this in mind, it is essential that you are willing to take breaks every so often. If you think you can continue to work without any stop in the action, you will burn out sooner rather than later.
On a daily basis you should be taking breaks. Some freelance writers have a schedule, complete with breaks built into it. Others simply walk away from their work when they feel like they have hit a wall. Either way, make sure you are taking breaks throughout the day. This is a great way to keep your mind and body fresh. Personally, I always take a bit of a break at breakfast and lunch time.
What about long term breaks? Since you work for yourself, you may feel guilty if you decide to plan a vacation. This is crazy! It is very important that you take longer breaks from time to time. This does not mean that you should take off a week every month, but there is nothing wrong with extended vacations. Everybody else gets to take time away from the office, and you should not be any different.
There is no easy way of saying when you should take breaks from your freelance writing. Once you set a daily schedule you will know when this makes the most sense. Along with this, you should never feel guilty about long term vacations. A few days away from the office can do you a lot of good.
August 13th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Looks like you and I are on the same wavelength today, Chris. My blog post today is about the the new promise I’ve made to myself to ensure I get out of the house at least once a day. I think we all need those mental breaks, especially when working from home.
August 16th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I totally agree. The point of being a freelancer is so we are in control of our own schedules, as long as we meet our contracted deadlines.
When I book time off, it’s time off. I feel no need to give out the details. I am simply “not available” between dates X and Y. Period.