I’ll admit it can be difficult to know when summer is here these days, especially in the UK. A few years ago, I got sunburn in the last days of February and I’ve spent a few August holidays searching for the central heating controls in holiday cottages to ‘take the chill off’.
But it’s officially summer in the UK – and if you don’t make the best of the Vitamin D boosting sunshine and warmer weather now, it will be gone all too soon. So here are four tips for making the most of your freelance summer:
Take Time Off
Even if it’s just a few days. Even if you can’t afford to go away anywhere. Even if it means putting in a few extra hours beforehand. Take a break.
Sit in your garden. Visit friends and family. Sit in their Read that book you’ve been meaning to get around to.
Treat yourself to lunch at the pub. Having a few days in which to completely switch off is great for your mental and physical health, your productivity and your enthusiasm.
Get Away from It All
A change is as good as a rest, as that old saying tells us. But if you can have both, that’s great.
While you might not be able to afford a fortnight in the Caribbean, with a little research you can find surprisingly cheap breaks, particularly if you avoid school holidays.
It may not be far from home and it may only be a short break, but a change of scenery – coupled with leaving your usual surroundings and preoccupations behind you – can be a powerful restorative.
Do Something Different
If time and money are both in short supply, you might need to get creative. Could you housesit for someone or house swap? Stay with a friend or relative in return for helping around the house, dog-sitting etc? What about days out – have you visited all the local tourist hotspots?
What about free museums and art galleries? Workshops? Classes? Summer schools? A working holiday? Shaking things up a little could fire up your creativity and enthusiasm and stop you feeling so jaded.
Work Somewhere Different
Depending on what you do as a freelance career, this can be tricky. But if it’s at all feasible to move yourself and any part of your work outside (or even just a different inside), do it. Could you work in your garden? If your laptop battery runs out, no problem.
That’s what extension leads are for! When the sun shines in Britain, we make the most of it! Working in a pub garden or outside a café can make a welcome change too.
If All Else Fails…Take Your Work on Holiday.
I’ve sometimes gone on holiday despite having work to do. It’s not ideal and it’s best attempted if your work load is light. But I’ve worked for a couple of hours first thing in the morning, while everyone else is taking their turn in the bathroom and arguing, I mean discussing what to do that day. Or I’ve put in an hour or two in the evening when we’re back home.
Being away from home in picturesque surroundings and allowing yourself the luxury of eating out, even if you do still have to work, can be a worthwhile compromise. You’re still miles away from that back wall that needs painting and there’s no washing up! It’s a holiday from everyday responsibilities, if nothing else.
Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy the summer while you can!
