Being a freelancer has many fantastic perks of the job. From being able to work at home, sitting at your desk in a relaxing environment, where you more productive than in a mentally draining office. But there are downsides to being a freelancer, and one of those is when you are working in the comfort of your own home, but you don’t feel well. You are tempted to go back to bed but, of course, you know that if you don’t do any work, you don’t get paid! This is very likely to be the hardest part of the freelancer lifestyle, especially when all you want to do is crawl back to your bed (which is about 3 feet away). So here are a few tips on handling it when you’re worried about feeling under the weather.
Illness Will Happen. Accept It!
We all get ill, and as a freelancer, you will be very likely working late hours and long days and pushing it well past the typical 9 to 5 working day. So you need to plan ahead, whether by having an emergency fund or having a backup plan to help you get the work done on time. If you have the luxury of having someone that can help you out with your work, such as an assistant, then take advantage of that. But for those that are unable to do this, then make the most of what you can do from bed, however little. This could mean setting up a makeshift office in your bed or just doing the most important tasks right now. But if it’s possible to work smarter rather than harder such as by using your voice to text function to type out emails reports etc. then take advantage of it!
Know When You’re Ill Enough To Stop Working
We all keep pushing ourselves as freelancers, and we can easily make ourselves feel worse. So it’s important to get the adequate rest if you’ve been soldiering on like this for two weeks and you haven’t got any better then it’s time to get in contact with a medical professional. Luckily, as a freelancer, you have top tools at your disposal. So you can make the most of the online services like GP at Hand which is an app where you can get a consultant to diagnose you over the phone “face to face” which saves a lot of time and still means you can get as much done as possible at home.
Let Your Clients/Customers Know ASAP
We’re only human after all, and the client or customer that doesn’t believe in getting ill is either lying or is superhuman! The guilt of being ill can be something we all feel, especially when our careers are riding on it, but you need to give yourself the time to heal. You need to explain to customers or clients if something is going to be late due to you feeling under the weather. You’d be surprised how understanding a lot of clients and customers really are.
Leave a Reply