People who are self-employed or work freelance are often afraid of taking a holiday. But there are ways to take time away without losing work.

Having a lack of work/life balance is not only unhealthy, it’s also unnecessary. Balancing time between being the most productive worker and taking time off is possible. Here’s how.

Why You Need Time Away from Work as a Freelancer

Taking a vacation can:

• Improve your physical and mental health
• Reduce stress
• Help you sleep better
• Put you in a better mood
• Contribute to good blood pressure and cholesterol

Traveling gives you the opportunity to put aside your daily to-do list and explore new places. Whether you’re in another country or exploring your own backyard, there are always new adventures and experiences to be had.

According to Forbes, taking time off is central to a person’s well-being. It can even increase efficiency and output upon returning to work, and you might also notice feeling more present and motivated in terms of work commitments.

Further, getting out of the office can reignite your capacity for educational development. When you allow your brain to completely relax, it’s more open to knowledge and new concepts. For example, you may be more motivated to explore education websites, such the Expert Learning Center, which is specifically designed to help linguists learn more, grow more, and earn more!

How to Take Time Away

Now that you’re ready to confirm your time off, here’s a game plan for going on holiday and retaining your clients while you’re away:

1) Prep before your holiday

What’s the busiest season for the clients you work with most? Retaining your primary clients and accounts is more feasible if you avoid taking a holiday during that time.

Save additional funds for the vacation. Take an extra project or two a day—as long as you’re still leaving enough time for best practices. Project managers will appreciate you going the extra mile before your holiday and remember it.

Clear out all of your administrative tasks that build up. Submit invoices, reorganize style guides, and make sure you’ve completed your most time-sensitive projects.

Next, it’s time to give your notice.

2) Communicate

Communicating to project managers and team leads that you’re going on holiday is a big part of planning ahead. We recommend at least a two weeks’ notice so your clients can prepare themselves to manage without you.

Also, if you’re visiting nearby, it gives them an opportunity to invite you to their office and meet in-person.

Make sure that in your request, you include the dates you’ll be out of office and how you can be reached in case of emergency, or who to reach out to instead.

At TransPerfect, one of our most valuable relationships is our collaboration with freelancers. Providing us with a heads up means we know not to interrupt your holiday with emails, voicemails, and our impromptu meetings. We want you to have a fun, balanced vacation!

3) Suggest coverage in your TransPerfect Network

Trusting your freelance peer with an account you work on benefits everyone. Your existing relationship solidifies your place as client favorite, which will not change while you take a holiday. By leaving the client and their workload in capable hands, you’re increasing resources for the client and for their company.

When you return, the client may notice faster turnaround times as there’s two dedicated quality freelancers working on that account. This instills confidence and leads to even more work. Not to mention your trust has fostered good will between you and your colleague. Everyone wins!

At TransPerfect, your freelance colleagues are some of the strongest, most valuable resources for you to rely on. Ask an existing and qualified TransPerfect freelancer to be available for work while you’re gone. Then, introduce your project managers and team leads to them before you leave.

4) Crafting an out-of-office message

The final piece of the puzzle is crafting an effective out-of-office auto-generated reply. Here are some tips to help you create one:

• Any good communication starts with a greeting, such as a pleasant “Hello!”
• Keep it short, sweet, and professional. Grammarly and Indeed both note being too friendly or revealing too much information within an OOO message is a “don’t.”
• Include the specific dates or time period you will be unavailable.
• Determine whether you’ll be replying to emails during your holiday or if you have a colleague covering emergency requests while you’re out.
• Ask yourself if the message is appropriate for every audience.
• Finish with a simple “Thank you.” Good manners never go out of style!

Enjoy Your Vacation!

By completing this checklist, you should feel confident taking time away from work while also maintaining important working relationships.

Now it’s time to focus on relaxation and wellness.

And if you happen to meet other linguists in your travels, make sure to tell them about TransPerfect and how they can get started on their own unique journey.