How To Make More Time For Yourself as a Freelancer

I've always put my health and wellbeing last, and when it came to starting my own business, things were no different. 

Work now, play later - that's something I've always lived by. But that time for myself never really happens until it's too late. 

When I first started freelancing, I would work evenings and weekends without batting an eyelid - I was used to doing this anyway from working part-time alongside studying for my degree.

Plus, if I was working, I'd somehow feel more "worthy". The fact I was busy made me feel like I had a purpose. 

In reality, being constantly busy isn't sustainable. And this led to a huge downturn in my mental and physical health. 

Almost five years on, I'm slowly learning to be better at prioritising my own needs. And, for the first time in my life, the guilt of "just doing nothing" is gently fading. 

I'm not going to sit here and say I'm perfect at it. There's still many-a-Sunday afternoon when everyone else I know is probably vegging out in front of the TV while my mind jumps around with thoughts of "I should be doing something" or "I'm wasting valuable time here".  

But, I'm better. I'm improving. I'm doing my best. And that's all you can ever do, really. 

So, if you even mildly relate to this, I think you'd benefit from reading my tips below about making time for yourself. 

Commit to yourself. 

For me to actually consistently make time for myself, my mindset had to change drastically. You have to really believe that you are a priority to be able to stop putting everyone (and everything) first.

I'm a natural people pleaser and I like helping people out. But, as clichéd as this is about to sound, you cannot pour from an empty cup. 

I have learned this the hard way, but I don't want you to wait until it's too late. 

Once you truly value yourself and recognise your own needs as a priority (or at least just as important as everyone else's around you), you'll then be able to make the first steps to making time for yourself. 

Prioritise.

You need to work out what actually matters. 

From a small business owner's perspective, I know this can be hard, especially when you're first starting out. 

For years, my vision of what really matters (in life as well as work) was clouded because I was constantly busy chasing my tail. 

Priorities are different for everyone. You must figure out what they look like for you. Once you have a list of real priorities, you can begin to drop the things that don't matter and make more time for the things that do (and this should include you). 

Your priorities will naturally change, too. So remember to reevaluate them if something doesn't feel right for you. 

Let go. 

When you have your priorities set. It's now time to let go of the crap that doesn't serve you. 

We tend to fill our lives with tasks that really - when you think about it - don't actually make much of a difference if they aren't done. 

Do you need to be creating content for Instagram every single day, or would your time be better spent doing some engaging with other accounts? Or, you know what? Just chilling out in the bath... 

Once you're comfortable letting stuff go, you'll find you have more time to focus on what really matters. 

Ask for help.

There's no shame in needing support. 

For a long time, I thought I had to do it all by myself. But that would be impossible, right?

I've recently started working with a Virtual Assistant and it's life-changing. Of course, being able to outsource and pay someone to do tasks for you isn't accessible for everyone. It wasn't accessible for me until recently. 

But, if you do have the budget, I would highly recommend looking into it. For business owners, outsourcing could involve hiring a bookkeeper or accountant, someone to look after your IT or even to help you manage your social media. Any tasks that have a process can be outsourced to someone who actually enjoys/has expertise in that area. 

For others, this could look like hiring a cleaner one day a month, or a gardener, or even a babysitter while you crack on with the housework. 

Now, I really don't want to assume everyone has the cash to do this. As I said, I would have never dreamt of doing this even a few months ago. And I wouldn't have been able to afford it when I first started my business. 

Making time for yourself is still possible without hiring people to do your shit, don't worry. Just stick to my other tips.

Schedule.

I live by my Google Calendar and I'm not ashamed to admit it. One way I force myself to prioritise time for myself is to schedule it in.

Yes, it might seem a bit lame. But seeing that time blocked out in your calendar, diary or whatever you use to track your time can really help to stick to a good routine. 

Even if you start small - five minutes each day, or one hour per week - you can then gradually build it up to a level that works best for you. 

If you're still struggling, try and schedule specific things in that you can do. Plan your time off. 

I know this may seem counterproductive but if I think to myself "I'm going to take an hour off later" I would probably fill that time with stuff that doesn't allow me to switch off (mindlessly flicking through my phone springs to mind). 

However, if I plan to maybe enjoy some crochet, or to watch a specific TV show with my partner, or even just to sit and have a nice cup of tea, I would be more likely to commit to it. 

Accountability. 

In my experience, most people I know feel constantly busy and struggle to take time out. There must be someone else in your life who could do with prioritising a bit of "me-time"?

Partner up with them and hold each other accountable. Check in to see if they're looking after themselves. 

If you don't know anyone you could partner up with, I'll be your accountability buddy - just drop me a message. 

Don't punish yourself.

It's ironic that when I fail at being kind to myself, I end up feeling even more guilty. Who else can sympathise? 

Life gets busy and some days you might just end up slipping back into old habits. And that's okay. 

As I mentioned, there have been many times that I have still had to prioritise my business, or other areas of my life before taking time out. At the end of the day, life gets in the way. 

You've just got to remember to be aware of it and try to find as much balance as you can. It's what feels right and works for you and your life. 

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