by Leo Wiles
03 June 2016
Freelance Flu is just like regular flu – except your clients don’t give a toss. And when illness strikes, it’s one of the few times I miss working in an office. Oh, the option to call in sick and stay in bed. Or on the couch with your duvet, tissues and remote control. There’s nothing like getting the rest you need AND getting paid at the same time.
Not so when you work for yourself. There’s no one to pick up the slack and not even the cat cares, as long as you feed it occasionally. As you might have gathered, I’m currently writing this post while under the weather and washing down Day & Night tablets with my sixth shot of coffee.
I’m not in panic mode, despite having an incredibly long to-do list. But I’m the first to admit that functioning at half-speed doesn’t make for great copy. So here are my tips for getting through the day when you’re freelance, and sick as a dog.
· Let your editor or client know if it means you’ll miss a deadline or have to delay it. As freelance newbie, there was no way I’d ask a client or editor to cut me some slack for battling illness. I think I thought I was supposed to be some kind of superhero who never got sick or powered through sickness to NEVER miss a deadline but… well, sometimes it’s unavoidable. The sooner you let your boss know, the sooner they can work around you if they need to.
· Prepare to get sick with a little pre-planning. That may sound weird, but sooner or later – unless you ARE a superhero – a bug will topple you. So always build buffer zones into your deadlines (so you might think you can deliver a project in 6 weeks but tell the client it’ll be 8). That way, you’ve got that time up your sleeve if illness strikes. Plus, as a single mum of three children I pre-plan on a cooking level too, which is why my bulging freezer which always has a container or two of homemade chicken soup ready to go.
· Put an out-of-office on your email. Mention on it that you’re ill, when you expect to be back on deck, and that you’ll be taking a break from answering emails today and tomorrow (for example) but that they can expect a response to their query on, say, Thursday. Editors and clients will be reassured and appreciate the update, and it’ll also give yourself time to hit the sack and recuperate without having to field a gazillion emails that can probably wait.
· Start building a financial buffer. We’ve written about this before. When you work for yourself, it’s absolutely critical to have a nest egg for days (and weeks) like these. If your illness drags on unexpectedly, you’ll have enough stress just trying to outsource projects and extend deadlines – you don’t want to have to worry about money and paying the bills too. Sure, you don’t want to siphon hard-earned funds into a rainy day account (no one does), but when you’re sick, you’ll be glad you did.
· Choose low-brain-power tasks. When you’ve got a stuffy nose and foggy head, that’s no time to struggle through an important and/or possibly litigious piece of writing. But if enforced rest just makes you more stressed, perhaps give yourself permission to lie around with your laptop and do the stuff that doesn’t require brain power, like invoicing, scheduling your social media, paying bills, emailing reminders about outstanding payments. Knowing you’re ahead on your admin when you’re back to being fighting fit well will feel pretty darn amazing and give you extra impetus to focus on work distraction-free.
· Power through only when absolutely necessary. Sure, you can pop Sudafed to function and crank up a few energetic background tunes to keep the blood pumping and synapses firing. But be aware that working when you’re sick is a false economy. You may feel virtuous at the end of the day, but all you’re really doing is hammering your body and guaranteeing that you’ll be ill for longer. Sometimes, chilling out on the sofa and resting for a couple of days really IS the best thing for you.
What are you top tips on getting through when you’re sick?
Great tips Leo! I think working from home helps too – the couch or your bed is just a few steps away, so there’s even less of an excuse to stop and look after yourself by resting.
True Lisa. Although I think there is also the temptation to try and tackle your inbox or minor tasks even though you know you’ll do them in twice them time and half as well… or maybe that’s me.