I’d hazard a guess that one of the reasons we all got into freelancing (or are considering it) is for the career change. Quite honestly, there’s nothing like taking the day off to hang out with family and at least have the option to attend pretty much every social event… or for when Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 came out…
What no one told me when I started on this path was how NOT to bring my work home with me when I almost exclusively work from home. As a freelancer, your brain is probably firing on all cylinders, creating your next greatest idea – likely at 1 in the morning when you’re trying to get to sleep. Not ideal.
Over the last few years, I’ve managed to compile a list of 10 rules I live by, and they’ve honestly helped me from being in work mode 24/7. It’s not perfect, and probably never will be, but it’s enough to split one side of my life from the other. I work when I need to work and play when it’s time to switch off.
Here are 10 ways not to take your work home as a freelancer…
1. Set a strict end time for your workday and stick to it
I know the reason you started freelancing (or are about to start) was probably for freedom, but setting a strict start and end time for work is one of the simplest ways to stay focused during your work day. That doesn’t mean you have to work 9-5, Monday to Friday. If it did, I wouldn’t have been a freelancer for close to a decade.
On Sunday, check what you’ve got planned for the week and set your schedule accordingly. Think about your schedule like a living, breathing organism; it adapts and changes to your timeline.
Whether that means you set your working time a day, a week, or even a month in advance is up to you, just make sure you know the plan before you sit down to build your empire.
2. Designate a specific workspace and avoid working outside of it
I’ll be the first person to admit, I don’t work in the office as much as I should – well, practically never. I usually sit at the dining room table, sometimes moving to the conservatory when it gets warmer, and treating myself to the bottom of the garden when the sun shines – hardly ever in the UK.
Because hey, if I can’t choose where I sit as someone working for himself, what’s the point? Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it seems. If only our minds could completely detach from a situation and switch off at will.
I’m not proud to admit it, but I even work from bed sometimes. If the mood strikes and I just want to crank out one more article, I get excited and just start typing.
Sleep is too important and it becomes very hard to switch off when this happens. Usually, I’m only writing in IA Writer (easily the best word processor) which I honestly find more relaxing than aimlessly scrolling on my phone.
Whatever you do, don’t check your damn emails before you go to bed, I’ve made that mistake one too many times 🤮
Let’s make something clear, I’m not saying you only have to work at your desk (cafe culture be too vibing for that), just make sure wherever you start working, you don’t want to relax there soon after. Separate those locations and your mind will have a much easier time keeping up.
3. Use a “shutdown” ritual to close out your day
Much the same as before, it’s a way to split work time and your time – more than just a mental split. This could be as simple as logging out and actually turning off your computer (something I can’t remember the last time I did), tidying up your desk, running 10K, or writing a post-work entry to your journal. Brain-dump all your worries before going back to your own, personal life.
Workspaces
Something I recently became interested in was finding my ‘endgame’ browser. That led me to find ARC and fall slightly in love with the workspaces feature (yes, I’m aware most browsers have this option now).
Despite its recent slightly troubling outlook (support and further development are likely to be cancelled as The Browser Company moves onto other products), splitting my browsing activity between work and play (while keeping both easily accessible) does wonders to freeing up my brain space. So much simpler than having 2 computer login accounts, and undeniably aesthetically pleasing to boot.
4. Change your damn clothes…
STOP WORKING IN YOUR COMFIES!
You don’t have to wear a suit (though, who doesn’t love an excuse to dress up?), but if you’re looking for a certain amount of structure in your day, wearing different clothes to the ones you like to relax in will do you a world of good.
At the very least, get separate clothes for after work. You don’t want to lose a client, mess up on that really important presentation, or generally have a bad day, and then continue the day in those same clothes.
5. Schedule a physical “commute”.
Being a freelancer, on the whole, means you’re working from home. That affords you a certain amount of benefits – zero commute is one of the main ones.
But (and it’s a fairly big but), that means no threshold to split up your home and work life – specifically physical. Being self-employed seems to promote a sedentary lifestyle, it’s best not to let that become a thing.
It’s hard to suggest what that means for you, but for me, it means going for a run at least 3 times a week and leaving the house every day without fail. Whether that’s a 10k run every day or a 20-minute walk every so often, make sure you get out.
It’s great to split up your day, and mental clarity is always welcome.
6. Set boundaries with family or housemates around your work hours.
This one is huge. Just because you set your own boundaries doesn’t mean other people will abide by them (or even understand them).
The amount of times I’ve been told “You just sit at a computer, it must be easy”. It’s often very hard for people to understand that just because you work from home, doesn’t mean you’re accessible 24/7. Of course, this isn’t so much of an issue if you live alone, but if there are more than a couple of people around it can get a bit tricky.
Rather than closing and locking doors, I prefer to sit down with people and help them understand. I get that this won’t be the case for everyone, but it makes for a nicer environment in the long run.
If you’re happy confining yourself to a single room forever, then perhaps telling people not to disturb you in between certain hours is a good idea. But if you like to flutter around the house throughout the day like I do, it’s better to prevent interruptions from the source.
7. Turn off work-related notifications after hours.
You are not available 24/7. You can build a very successful business, be loved (and most importantly respected) by your clients without giving them access to you all the time. It’s a hard rule to follow at the start or your journey, but stupidly important if you don’t want to burn out.
Basic level
At a basic level, you should be clocking off from work at a predesignated time and sticking to it. Set your email notifications to off and don’t make the mistake of peaking. I hate notifications at the best of times and other than a few contacts, nothing bothers me (work time or not) unless I actively check when I’m ready.
Intermediate level
At an intermediate level, you should be correctly using IOS profiles or the Android equivalent. I have one set for the morning, one for the afternoon, and one for the evening. This might be overkill, but you should play around until you find something that works well for you.
Advanced level
After one too many accidental views of my email at 2 in the morning (with some horrendous requests), I’ve completely blocked myself off with JOMO. It’s like Opal, but without subscriptions. It’s fantastic for ensuring self-control, something I know many freelancers struggle with when they work from home.
Most people probably wonder why I don’t have separate logins (one for work and one for play), but that’s not going to stop me from opening up another YouTube tab – JOMO will.
8. Create a to-do list for the next day before you sign off.
This is like a productivity brain dump. This way, you know exactly what you’re doing tomorrow, and with your work day planned out, there’s nothing more to think about tonight other than which National Geographic Documentary you’re going to watch.
I’m a dedicated user of Things 3 for Mac and IOS. It’s the simplest, most beautiful task management app going, and I genuinely wonder how I didn’t sink under endless to-dos before I found it.
It’s a little closed off compared to other apps which makes chaining automations slightly more tricky, but they’re still doable. For instance, I can connect my calendar which allows me to plan around daily events – simple and powerful enough not to be messing around with it for ages.
You don’t need to use this app; a pen and paper will do just fine as well. I’m just a sucker for beautiful U.I.
9. Use separate devices for work and personal tasks.
This comes back to mental separation more than anything. If I’m working all day on my laptop, using the same device for my downtime doesn’t help me switch off as well as something completely separate would.
I used to own a giant, rather ugly, PC that I built myself. I would use it for photo editing, general work, and gaming, but I found that I could never detach from work mode. Fast forward 4 years, and I’ve finally built my own dedicated gaming PC that boots directly into Playnite, giving me an experience as close to consoles (and couch gaming) as possible.
Technically, my decision to spend a significant amount of money on building something to play games has hugely benefited my ability to switch off and clear my mind before another day’s freelancing – thus making me produce better work for my clients.
You heard it here first, build a gaming PC to become a better freelancer!
10. Block off time in the evening for personal activities or hobbies.
It’s hard to forget that our lives as freelancers aren’t to be making money 24/7. When was the last time you didn’t feel guilty about not working or finding clients?
It’s important to schedule time for things that make you happy. PC gaming, treasure hunting, calligraphy, reading, tea tasting, photography, whatever your passion is, fight for it. I’ve had months go past without making time for my hobbies, and I start to lose myself in an endless sea of emails, guilt, and planning.
