How to Switch Off From Work

There seems to be this idea that if you want to be successful in business, you have to constantly be working on your business or working on your personal development. 

Don’t read for pleasure, read for knowledge. 

Don’t watch trash TV, watch training courses. 

Don’t listen to music on your run, listen to podcasts.

Work. Work. Work. Learn. Learn. Learn. Improve. Improve. Improve. 

It’s exhausting. 

And it’s bullshit. 

I don’t know about you, but I chose to be self-employed so I could have more control over my time. I wanted a better work-life balance. I didn’t want to be limited to two days off a week and four weeks holiday a year. 

So why would I want to spend every waking hour working?

I’ll admit, I found it tough at first. I felt like I had to be at my desk from nine until five, Monday to Friday. I’d feel guilty doing anything that wasn’t business-related, and I’d respond to emails or take calls even when I wasn’t “at work” because I didn’t want clients to think I wasn’t committed. 

But then I realised it didn’t matter. As long as I delivered what I'd promised, clients didn’t care what hours I was working.

And it was ok if I took time for myself. I didn’t have to be productive all the time. 

I stopped answering calls when it wasn't convenient. I stopped trying to reply to every email the minute it hit my inbox. And I even stopped taking my laptop on holiday.

I no longer feel guilty when I'm not being productive. I certainly don't feel as though I have to be constantly available to clients. And you don't have to be either.

Your clients aren't as reliant on you as you think

I find it amusing when freelancers tell me they have to be available when their clients need them, especially if their clients had a business before they started working together.

Is your client really so dependent on you that their business will fall apart if you don't respond to them immediately?

Probably not.

So either it's your ego making you think your clients can't cope without you, or you just aren't setting boundaries.

If you have good clients who value you and respect you, they will not begrudge you taking time off (as long as you deliver what you have promised). And if you have clients who expect you to be on call 24-7, then you don't have a client, you have a boss.

If you are self-employed, you have a business. You choose how that business operates, and it should operate on terms that suit you.

And as long as you plan and communicate, it's perfectly possible to take a week or two off and not think about work.

I spent three weeks in Peru without a laptop, only checking emails when I had hotel Wi-Fi (which I didn't have on the Inca Trail). I barely thought about work, and I had an amazing time. And surprise, surprise, I still had a business when I got back. I still had clients. I was still able to pay my mortgage.

In fact, I regularly take time off to go on holiday. I take time off over Christmas to spend with family. I have long weekends away where I don't do any work. And I come back refreshed, reinvigorated, and full of ideas. As a result, I can deliver a better service to my clients.

Now I'm not suggesting you can just drop everything last minute to bugger off on holiday for a week. You do have some responsibility to your clients.

I can take time off because I've created a business that works around me. And I plan for time off.

I pre-write and pre-schedule content so I'm still being consistent with my marketing while I'm away.

I manage my cash flow sensibly, so I have a buffer to cover me when I'm not doing as much billable work.

I fit any client work, calls, and meetings around my holiday so nothing gets missed and clients still get the standard of service I pride myself on.

And I communicate with my clients. I let them know I might not respond as quickly as usual to their messages.

I'm not saying I ignore everything work-related when I'm away. I do reply to emails and messages (especially if they are from paying clients), but I don't let it impact my holiday.

Self-care is important. Taking time off is important.

You can't give clients the best service possible if you are stressed out, burnt out. overworked, exhausted or ill. And if you're never switching off from work, you run a high risk of making yourself that way.

If you feel as though you can never take time off from your business, let me help you change things. Book 90 minutes with me, and will figure out what the problems are and come up with some actions to help you fix them.