Five Reasons to Take the Vacation

 Adult summertime is weird. For freelancers in particular, this allegedly “lazy” season is full of contradictions. Clients take time away from work, which (counterintuitively) creates pressure to push out deliverables before they become unreachable. Social calendars fill up. Your kids yell through your office door demanding their 8th snack. 

If it feels like everyone is on vacation but you, you might be right. Many solopreneurs report finding it harder to take time away than they did when they were traditionally employed. Even though you’re no longer sweating over a dwindling supply of PTO, personal days, and the enduring mystery that are “floating holidays,” there is a lingering fear that going out of office will ultimately be more stressful than restful. 

While it’s true that stepping away requires some forethought and planning, it’s also true that freelance freedom is wasted on those who don’t use it. Before another summer passes you by, we’d like to humbly present a case for taking the vacation — and why it’s important to go all the way out of office. 

1. Managed Expectations

Excellent customer service is important, but keeping one eye on your email as you lie poolside can have unintended consequences. If you teach your clients that you are never not available, they’re less likely to be understanding of the times when you can’t be. 

Not only does a working vacation tend to worsen both the work and the vacation, but it also sets an unfortunate precedent. As we’ve discussed, it’s much easier to set boundaries up front than build them on the fly, so keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to pause notifications. 

2. Mental Rest 

We’re not anthropologists, but humans probably weren’t meant to work at the same pace all year round. Back when we harvested crops instead of data, the off-season was a natural part of life. 

These days, you have to intentionally schedule the rest you need to look at the work in front of you with fresh eyes. As great as it would be to simply power through creative blocks, forcing yourself through a state of burnout seldom produces excellent work. If you’re feeling stagnant, take the hint and step away. You’ll be shocked by how much less complicated everything feels when you aren’t exhausted. 

3. New Perspectives 

There’s nothing wrong with a staycation, but travel has a unique way of helping creatives break out of slumps. New scenery, new ideas, and the experience of being a stranger in a strange land loosen stuck mental connections and create opportunities for epiphanies. 

We’re not saying that witnessing a Taihitian sunset will inspire you to go home and format Excel spreadsheets, but it can give you a powerful fresh perspective on your purpose as a solopreneur (and a human being). These are the kinds of things you tend to miss out on when you bring your laptop to the beach. 

4. You Can Afford It 

The lack of PTO is a challenge of self-employment, but if you think back on your last full-time job, you’ll probably agree that nothing was ever truly free. Just like when you were someone else’s employee, your time away from work is still but a variable in your annual salary. 

If you know your financial bottom line, affording time away is just a matter of determining how much you need to work during the rest of the year so your cash flow isn’t disrupted during breaks. Vacation funds don’t need to come in a windfall — designate a manageable portion of your income each month to rest and travel, and use it without guilt. 

5. Chaos Is Largely Preventable

Successfully unplugging from work requires some strategy, but you don’t have to simply accept that you’ll return from vacation to an unholy backlog. 

Our Let’s Go Out of Office planning worksheet walks you through preparing your inbox, calendar, and clients for your absence in the weeks leading up to your vacation so you can worry less about what the rest of the world is doing and actually enjoy yourself. 

If rest feels like more work than work, it’s time to rethink your approach. A little proactive planning will keep you from missing out on the real benefits of your time away and ensure a smoother re-entry when you return. 

Book those tickets, pack that suitcase, and set sail. This freelance life will be waiting for you when you get back.