It’s oh so quiet….

No, I’m not going to post my own version of a Bjork song for you (anyone who knows how terrible my singing is will be sighing with relief right now), but I am going to talk about quiet patches.

It can be difficult not to feel a bit lost when you finish a big project and you suddenly have loads of time on your hands again. When you were working flat out, all you could think of was having time to catch up on those little jobs that you’re constantly putting off, and as soon as you have that time, you instantly feel a bit adrift, swimming in all that free time.

Well, I do anyway. It’s an odd mix of emotions really - relief that a big project is finished on time and that the client is happy; pride at a job well done; and a sudden sinking feeling of oh god where’s my next work coming from?

I’m getting better at dealing with that, and trusting that something will come along to fill the void (so far it always has). And trust is a big part of being a freelancer. But so too is keeping on top of all those little jobs that need doing but get pushed to the bottom of the list.

Don’t panic

Rule number one when work goes quiet is don’t panic! It’s so easy to start thinking about taking a bar job, or signing up to a temping agency, or even searching for a ‘proper’ job, but don’t (unless you really want to and have decided freelancing isn’t for you, of course).

I’m a big believer in putting positive energy into the universe and being rewarded for that - whether you think that’s hippy bullshit or not, it’s worked for me. So while you’re focusing on not panicking, also focus on you.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always great at taking care of myself, but the times when you’re a bit quiet with work are the ones more than ever when you need to look after yourself. For me, my go-to is to fit in more yoga (like I’ve been meaning to for weeks) and to take longer walks with Franklin.

Be proactive

While I’m all for pumping positive energy out and reaping the rewards, no amount of meditating on positive thoughts is going to magic up work for you. You need to be proactive as well. I’m learning that there are peaks and troughs of work as a freelancer, but as long as you’ve got enough money in the bank for the next bills, you’re ok.

When I first started freelancing, I’d go a bit crazy looking for work when I got quiet. Endlessly trawling sites like People Per Hour and Upwork to see if there was anything I could do. Often times that was a waste of my energy.

There’s nothing wrong with using those sites (I use both), but you can’t rely on them. So, as well as putting in the odd proposal on freelance job sites, I also look for other ways to make connections. I’ll check out what local networking events are coming up and sign myself up for a couple, I’ll take a look at my LinkedIn connections and see if there’s anyone I should get back in contact with, or I’ll reach out to my friends and see if anyone knows of any work. Usually something will appear.

Stick to your routine

When you don’t have a specific deadline to get up for in the morning, it can be so very easy to stay in bed, but don’t! I’ve found having a dog stops me doing this, so I’d recommend that if you need help getting up each day.

If you’ve got yourself into a good working routine, try to stick to it. You don’t need to be super regimented, but if you usually sit down at your computer by 9am, make sure you continue to do that when you haven’t got lots on, even if it’s just to check your emails for half an hour.

And instead of spending your normal working hours doing project work, think about what jobs you should do for yourself - like writing a blog post (or two, or ten), updating your portfolio, or keeping on top of your accounts - and fill your day with those. Even if you’re not earning money by doing these things, they’re likely to lead to more work in future. Plus, you have to do them at some point so it might as well be when you’ve got a bit of time on your hands.

The point is, you want to end each day by feeling as though you’ve been productive. And doing productive stuff doesn’t just have to be work related. It could be deep cleaning your kitchen or putting up that shelf you’ve been meaning to do for months. As long as you feel as though you’ve accomplished something, you’ll feel upbeat.

Just remember that quiet periods never last that long - and you’ll be drowning in work again before you realise it. Freelance life really can be like the tempo of the Bjork song I used for the title of this post, so make the most of those periods when it’s oh so quiet, and so peaceful until…..