So this week I’ve battled through one of the worst colds I’ve had since I started freelancing, while having one or two projects on the go. The most surprising insight I got was that the whole slowing down thing is easier than I thought. I still worked at home in small increments, but the best part was the fact that I wasn’t risking infecting anyone in the process, with the exception of my boyfriend who ongoingly brought me lots of tea, food, high spirited company, and mp4 copies of shows about zombies.
I wanted to take a second to share some crucial lessons I’ve learned in the process:
- Freelancers need sick days too:
The best part of the freelance life is the flexible schedule thing. Yes there’s deadlines, responsibilities, etc but people are surprisingly forgiving if illnesses, ( both major and minor) strike. All it takes is a little bit of communication to ensure people that you haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, and are still an asset, you just need to cure the common cold first.
2. Working In Small Increments When You’re Sick Is Also Okay:
Throughout this cold I’ve found that whenever I really pushed myself to get work done my body would get really tired, really fast which is why I’ve found things like doing an hour or two of work, then taking a nap, then getting more done once I wake up a valid compromise. I mean… I work from home so I might as well take advantage of that.
3. It’s important To Slow Down When Your Body Isn’t In Its Best Shape:
I’ve had colds that have lasted for two to three weeks because I didn’t take good enough care of myself, and felt pressure to live up to everyone’s expectations. Listening to those moments when your body is like “no, sorry, I’m afraid something’s wrong and you need to slow down and rest a bit,” is really important. I grew up in a family that’s not only physically active, but values hard work more than anything else so it took me many years, and a not so fun summer of being hospitalized, thanks to a period of having severe Anemia, to realize that sometimes listening to your body’s limitations comes first.
4. Although We Market Ourselves As Experts There’s Nothing Wrong With Asking For More Time And Extra Help:
Sure we’re freelancers but we’re also human beings. Yes I know that sounds like common sense, but mistakes will inevitably happen, life will inevitably interfere, and as long as that only happens sometimes that’s okay. Illness, in a broad sense of the word, has taught me that the strongest people are actually the ones that aren’t afraid of their weaknesses, and aren’t afraid of asking for help.
Well, those are the most important ones I learned, and now it’s time to go drink an abundance of tea. Feel free to share your thoughts/experiences with freelancing and illness in the comments below. In this week of not feeling so great I’ve managed to get pretty close to finishing my latest projects, at a slow but steady rate. Times like these make me glad I’m still freelancing.
