How flexible are you willing to be?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nIs your non-work day a set-in-stone, gold-sealed decree or is it more of a guideline? What if a client has an urgent must-be-done-today-or-disaster request? Are you going to drop what you are doing and sort it out, or will you stick with your firm boundaries and say \u201cI will pick this up when I am back in the studio on Monday?\u201d What if you get a sudden burst of inspiration (anyone remember what they are?) and feel the NEED to work on something that very moment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Decide which day of the week.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nDo you want to make it a three-day weekend with a Friday or a Monday off or how about a Wednesday to break up the week? Perhaps you have other life commitments which control which day you will take, or maybe a partner, friend or family member also works a 4-day week and you want to be able to hang with them. Maybe there is a course or class you want to take on a specific day that guides your decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Work out what you\u2019re going to do. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nDo you see yourself having a lovely long lie-in, a late breakfast, PJs all day and giving your mind and body a much-needed weekly fix of relaxation? Or is it a day to do all the things you\u2019ve been thinking about doing – trail running, paragliding, woodworking, dismantling the patriarchy etc? Perhaps you\u2019ll be investing in yourself with exercise or courses? Or is it more about what is NOT<\/strong> OK to do – no sitting on the sofa watching Netflix for 6 hours, no heading to the pub at lunchtime and staying there, no using the extra day for boring household chores? Remember this is your extra day so whatever you choose to use it for is OK. It could be that getting the chores sorted before the actual weekend means you can enjoy a more fun Saturday and Sunday. You might decide that the only rule is that the day has to be full of things you want<\/em> to do rather than things you have<\/em> to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSet boundaries and communicate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce you\u2019ve decided on all the above, the last piece of the puzzle is to tell your clients. Communicate your new working hours clearly, set expectations from the get-go, and update the information on your website and email footer. You don\u2019t need to overexplain, a simple note advising them of your new hours and when you are contactable is all that\u2019s needed. Most clients are surprisingly cool when they know what to expect. And if they are not, then they\u2019ve just outed themselves as a douchebag client that you probably don\u2019t want to work with anyway! \ud83d\udc4b<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deal with guilt before it happens.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt is easy to feel like you are slacking off when the rest of the world appears to be grinding away. That is because we\u2019ve been taught that busyness is a badge of honour and only \u2018hard-working\u2019 people get the prizes. Many of us have worked in environments where our worth was determined by how many hours we were seen at our desks rather than the quality of our output. That is a freaking stupid way to run any business, not least your own. Being good to yourself, giving your mind and body the required rest and ensuring you do all the extracurricular things that light you up, are key to getting quality results. And quality results are why we are in business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it worth it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nShort answer? Yes, categorically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I chose Fridays as my day off and I\u2019ve enjoyed long weekends, trips out and lazy days hanging out in my PJs (I gave myself quite a bit of freedom in that department). I also use the day to head to the gym, sort the garden, develop a new hobby, see friends and family and yes, catch up on some of those boring chores. Full disclosure, not every Friday has been work-free, I wrote some of this blog post on a Friday afternoon and there have been occasions when something has to go to print or I\u2019ve been enjoying working on a project and didn\u2019t want to lose momentum. But the key difference is that I feel in control of that, my clients know it\u2019s out of the ordinary (or, more likely, don\u2019t actually know it\u2019s happening) and it\u2019s never, ever a full day\u2019s work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the outcome? I am more energised, more creative, and, dare I say, a happier human. My projects benefitted from a refreshed, more playful approach and my attitude to work has improved. The extra day of freedom has given me space to breathe, nourish other parts of myself away from work, and ultimately show up more engaged for the work I love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re toying with the idea of a 4-day workweek, consider this your nudge towards giving it a go. It\u2019s not just about working less; it\u2019s about working smarter and making space for the things that you love outside your work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In late 2021 I was done, burnt out, tired, totally over it and limping towards a Christmas break. I put … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":15339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to make a four-day week work for you as a solo freelancer - Sam Osborne - Illustration and Design<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n