How to Take a Vacation When You Work for Yourself

Yes, it’s possible (and necessary!)

We’re heading into peak vacation time in much of the world — exciting for some, but can be panic-inducing for solopreneurs, freelancers and other self-employed workers.

In my two years freelancing, I’ve had a really hard time finding resources on how to take days off. Luckily, a few self-employed people I know have given me really concrete advice.

Here’s the are the top tips I’ve learned that have enabled me to take a vacation as a solopreneur:

1. Plan in advance. I let my regular clients know my tentative days off 3 months in advance.
2. Line your vacation up with clients’ holidays or slow periods. The end of year is a time when many people take it easier, so taking multiple weeks in late December/early January is easier than in, say, April. August tends to be a pretty slow month for the U.S. and Europe, and where I live in Brazil, Carnaval in February and March is a common vacation time.
3. If you can, get help! Last year I brought on a wonderful subcontractor for a few hours a week, and we’re often able to align our vacation schedules so one person can help cover the other. Then I have a point of contact when I’m out.
4. If you’re retainer-based and not able to perform your full scope of work that month, offer a credit on your normal rate to your client. If you’re project-based, make sure your time off is clearly built into the project timeline.
5. Set your out of office, and stick to it! I always include my phone number and ask them to text if anything urgent comes up, otherwise I don’t touch my inbox. I’ve had moments of, “Should I check in case I’m losing out on new work?” and I really hold myself to not doing it — the work can, and will, wait.
6. You work for yourself, so if a hybrid “working while traveling” model works well for you, you can stretch out your vacation a little longer by working part of it. If you decide to go this route, make sure you do it with clear intention and boundaries, to make sure you’re getting proper time off and not feeling one foot in, one foot out of vacation.

Time can equal income when it comes to freelancing, so it’s important to recognize the privileges I have that allow me to take time off: I have no student loans and the city I live in has an affordable cost of living. That being said, we all deserve to give our minds, bodies, and spirits time off to rest and recharge. If taking a vacation isn’t available to you just yet, check out this article from our Head of Community, Taylor Harrington, on how she practices self-care as a community leader.

If you’re on a solopreneur looking for more support, accountability, and focus join Groove’s online coworking community to get sh*t done and have a good time while you’re at it ➡️ groove.ooo