HOW TO WORK (WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS ON VACATION)

The double-edged sword of freelance flexibility means that self-employed people often find themselves working when the rest of the world is not . 

The good news is that the end of the year usually brings opportunities to step in for understaffed clients. The bad news is that you’re likely to be the only person in your home who’s still working on December 23rd. 

When the kids are on winter break, housemates are out of office, and out-of-town relatives descend, working from home and sticking to a schedule gets challenging. Here is our best advice for staying flexible and productive when your home feels loud and crowded. 

Set Realistic Expectations

All freelancers want to provide great service and be maximally available to clients, but it’s important to know your limits and stick by them. If your cousin is coming into town with her eight kids or you’re spending the week at your grandma’s wifi-less house, you may be better off closing your business. 

While it might not be feasible to shut down for weeks on end, identify your unmissable plans and start setting yourself up to be unavailable as early as possible. This is a time when leaning on subcontractor relationships can give you a lot more flexibility and peace of mind, so you don’t miss out on important holiday activities and family time. 

Try Coworking Spaces

Even if you’re normally very attached to your home office, you may need to give yourself some space and give others a break from worrying about being too noisy or distracting during the day. 

Many coworking centers offer day passes and short-term arrangements so you can take advantage of a quiet desk without committing to a membership. This can come in especially handy if you have a conference call or presentation on the books and really need a controlled environment. 

Tackling work outside of a crowded home creates a sense of mental separation, so it’s easier to feel truly “done” when you log off for the day and rejoin the fun. 

Invest in a Good Portable Set Up

A quality set of headphones and a spare charger can save you if you need to get out of your in-laws’ house and down to the local coffee shop in a hurry. 

Good equipment will ensure that you can hear your clients and they can hear you, even if you have to take a call in a less-than-ideal setting. 

If you’re headed into a dubious wifi situation or anticipate having a houseful of people, test your connection ahead of time. A wifi extender or wired connection may be necessary if your home office is currently serving as a guest bedroom or your house is full of kids streaming video games. Having a backup plan in place can save you a lot of frustration in shared spaces. 

Create a Holiday Work Schedule

When you’re contending with a full house, work has to fit in around planned activities, mealtimes, kids’ naps, and more. Outside of scheduled meetings that can’t be moved, choosing to work in the off-hours may make it easier to participate in the festivities. Getting up a few hours early or logging on after everyone has turned in for the night can create pockets of time where your attention isn’t divided. 

Start by accepting that an uninterrupted eight-hour workday is impractical, and focus on what you can do. If you’ve decided to be at your desk from 7am to 10am during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, communicate those plans to clients as well as the other people in your home. Setting defined work hours will help minimize disruptions and keep you from feeling tethered to your email once you’ve logged off for the day. 

Know Your Priorities

There is a lot of freedom in giving up on trying to make end-of-the-year workdays feel “normal.” Instead of trying to tackle your standard to-do list, separate the essential tasks from those that can wait. 

Freelancers don’t get paid just for being on the clock, so it makes sense to focus your limited holiday hours on client work and save administrative and organizational tasks for a quieter time. 

We promise, the non-urgent work will be waiting for you in the new year — grandma’s cookies, not so much. Pare down your list and give yourself some grace.