Finally the summer seems to be here, kicking off brilliantly with Andy Murray winning the tennis.
As freelancers we have an advantage over workers that are constricted to a nine to five job, as we can, within reason, use our flexibility to enjoy the summer while it lasts.
In Britain it’s important to grab the nice sunny days as they appear – the weather is so unpredictable it can never be guaranteed that the rest of the month won’t be a wash out.
Although many of us work from an office inside the home, there are ways to ensure you get the most out of summer without sacrificing your ability to meet a deadline.
Here’s how:
Set up an Outdoor Workstation
After the Wimbledon weekend many people will be experts at this now, as they took laptops outside to view the tennis from their own lawns. It’s not enough to just plonk a laptop on the grass, you do need to make sure you can see the screen and that your laptop doesn’t overheat.
A good outdoor umbrella will do the trick however many people are becoming creative by using blankets and cardboard boxes; this allows the laptop to be used with ease, while you still top up that tan. It really is about time someone invented the portable outdoor workstation for al fresco working.
Take to the Park
Some freelancers love working from Starbucks as it makes them feel connected to the outside world. In the summer a change of scenery can be a breath of fresh air and a good way to reduce work stress, especially before the children break up from school. Take the laptop to the park and set up a space under a tree so you can enjoy the warmth of the sun surrounded by happy smiling people.
You may need to sign up to a WiFi hotspot or use your mobile phone for a connection, alternatively work offline and send when topping up your frothy coffee.
Be Flexible
The beauty of working for yourself is that you can choose your hours. If you find yourself tied to a PC feeling miserable during the day, change it.
On sunny days get up a bit earlier and enjoy a three hour lunch, or work later in the day so you can enjoy the morning outside and work when the evening turns chilly.
You can even benefit from a whole day off, for example if Wednesday is set to be a scorcher and Saturday looks like rain, swap! It doesn’t matter when you work as long as you make the hours add up.
This is the main motivation for many choosing to be freelancers and there’s no better time to take advantage than at the height of summer!
There are plenty more tips to share such as working through lunch, taking the laptop on a picnic as the children play in the park or even enjoying those warm summer nights with your tablet on the patio but we’re following our own advice and dashing out to catch the last of the rays before the sun sets!
Many thanks to Martina for this great blog post on freelance summertime fun! Martina is one of the top copywriters here on PPH. Check out her Hourlies! And last but not least, a special thanks to our very own Eirini for the illustration!
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