I’m writing this becausejust a few days ago, I did something that I don’t normally do out of 1. Habit and 2. Fear of loss of revenue.
What was it that I did, you ask?
Well, if you must know, I took a break. I took a vacation leave to celebrate my dearly departed mom’s birthday which was on a Friday. I’m off on Saturdays and Sundays. And then when I got back to regular work day on Monday, we were all on mandatory leave to celebrate a Philippine holiday.
So 4 days.
Yey!
And if you’re like me, you know that freelancers are terrible at taking breaks.
Not because we don’t need them.
But because it just feels terrifying after working for so hard and for so long.
I mean that’s a personal feeling I have towards not working because no work means no output and no output means no income.
And because of that fear or chain of logic, breaks almost always never happen, and continued work without any breaks results to… burnout.
And I’ve learned after years of doing this wrong first: a well-planned break costs you almost nothing. A poorly-timed breakdown costs you everything.
You don’t want that.
So, let’s talk about breaks and stepping away from work.
Properly.
Tell People Early
Two weeks minimum for regular clients.
Not the day before.
Or the morning of.
In fact, why don’t you go ahead and inform them ahead of time by at least a month. A month is better if you’re on a retainer or have recurring deliverables. Most clients are completely fine with you taking time off.
What they’re not fine with is finding out at the last minute.
Early notice gives them time to plan around your absence. It also positions you as someone professional enough to manage their own schedule, which is exactly the kind of freelancer clients want to keep.
Deliver Deliverables Ahead or Arrange Coverage
If you can, front-load.
Finish the work that would’ve been due during your break before you leave. Clients get their deliverables, you get your rest, nobody scrambles.
If that’s not realistic, be honest about it.
Some clients will wait.
Others won’t.
Knowing which is which before you disappear is better than finding out after.
For longer breaks, consider whether there’s another freelancer you trust who can cover urgent requests. Having someone to refer clients to temporarily isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign you take their needs seriously even when you’re not available.
To be honest, I struggle with this a lot since I want to be able to finish my tasks without any help from others but recent circumstances have made me reach out to another person in the organization I work for and I asked them if they could cover what little I had left behind that I wouldn’t be able to take care of.
Set a Real Auto-Reply
Not “I’m out of office.”
Jeez I hate those.
Set something that actually tells people what they need to know.
When you’ll be back.
Whether there’s anyone to contact in the meantime.
And what counts as genuinely urgent versus what can wait.
A good auto-reply manages expectations so you’re not coming back to a pile of increasingly anxious follow-ups from clients who didn’t know if you’d disappeared permanently.
Disconnect. Pull the Plug. Disappear.
This is probably the hardest thing to do for most freelancers.
We take the break in theory but stay half-available in practice.
One eye on our emails.
Answering messages.
Checking in to make sure nothing’s missed.
That’s not a break.
That’s just regular work with more guilt attached.
If you’ve communicated properly, delivered what you needed to deliver, and set expectations clearly… you’ve earned the right to actually stop. Trust the preparation you did and step away properly.
Come Back With a Plan
Don’t return to a blank slate.
Before you leave, write down exactly where each active project stands. What’s pending, what’s waiting on client feedback, what’s due first when you’re back.
Future you, slightly rested but still easing back in, will be genuinely grateful.
Breaks aren’t a luxury.
They’re maintenance. Plan the break properly and your clients won’t even feel you were gone.
PS. I did more than just visit the chapel to light a candle for my mom and other dearly departed relatives, I was also able to attend my son’s Buwan ng Wika event, attend a friend’s wake, and check on my project’s progress.
On Sunday, I was able to go to my nephew’s christening.
Did a video for leego
basically, I got a lot of things done.
