How to manage too much work: strategies for surviving times of crazy-busy, as all feast-or-famine freelancers must, eventually. Today, in my How To column at Copyediting.com.
As a bonus for my blog readers, here are some of my suggestions for each strategy:
Suggestions for Each Strategy
Self-care — prioritize health
- Sex helps you get exercise, relax, and reconnect with someone close to you. Plus, you’ll probably sleep better.
- Baring that, get a pet, and do the other things in that list.
- Blow bubbles — This not only forces you to take some deep, slow breaths, but the bubbles are delightful. Being silly can release a lot of tension — for you, and for those around you.
- Retail therapy works for many people, and if you go to the right store, you can even write it off!
Delegate everything humanly possible
- Maid, grocery service, bookkeeping, parts of the job… There was a story of one man who even outsourced arguments with his wife. YMMV
Prioritize Tasks
- First, do the things readers/ users will notice most. Then work your way don’t the “it makes a difference” list until you run out of time. Read more about triage in an upcoming post.
Negotiate more reasonable deadlines
- Just ask. Sometimes you win.
- Baring that, vow to do whatever you can during the next lull, to prepare for the next crazy-busy time.
Photo by Bruno Brunan used under CC BY-2.0 license. Thanks to my colleague Dawn Stahl for adding the graphic element.
