Go Ahead, Give Yourself A Break
It’s well known that Americans are terrible at taking time off from work--even when they have paid time off. But what about small business owners and freelancers? I would venture to guess that this group (of which I am a very proud member) is even less apt to take time off work. After all, no work = no pay, and there’s always a concern that with too much time off, your client will decide to move their business to another agency or professional who’s more readily available.
However, as we get closer to the holiday season, it’s important for all of us to prioritize time off (and yes, I’m preaching to the choir here). Whenever I’m questioning whether it’s okay to take a few days off, I remind myself of three key points:
TIME OFF HELPS ME AVOID BURNOUT
Burnout is the enemy of creativity, so it’s important for creative types to take time away to explore other passions, rest, and clear their brains. Whenever I take some time off, I return more engaged, invigorated, and full of new creative inspiration--after I get through my inbox, of course.
FLEXIBILITY IS WHY I TOOK THIS CAREER PATH
What good is it being your own boss if you’re stuck at your desk 24/7? Scheduling flexibility is a key reason why many creative types decide to go freelance. I’m supposed to be able to make my own schedule, so I should actually take advantage of this big benefit.
THE WORK WILL BE THERE WHEN I GET BACK
As one of my clients said recently, “It’s not kidneys in coolers.” In other words, it’s important to remember that we work in marketing—nobody is on the operating table. While of course my clients’ campaigns are vital to their business and deadlines are very real, no tragedies will happen if I take a few days off here and there. I simply try to plan as far ahead as possible, giving my clients advance notice so we can work ahead, assign members of my team to cover, or tweak deadlines as needed.
So as we approach the holiday season, I’ll be encouraging my team, and myself to take some time off. It’s been a busy and successful year--we should reward ourselves with some time to reconnect with friends and family so we can kick off 2022 refreshed and ready to create awesome content for our clients.
