How to ensure a healthy work-life balance: Breaking free from the ‘self-employed slave’ mindset

Being self-employed can be highly rewarding but simultaneously stressful to ensure a stable income, keep up with time management and lots of responsibilities.

Nonetheless, self-employment does not automatically mean that work takes over 80 per cent of your life and having only 20 per cent of your time left for personal activities.

While self-employment comes with a number of demands, it also offers individuals unique opportunities to comfortably structure their day to have a well-balanced life.

In agreement with this, Pursue Consultancy Founder Francesca Ellul notes that the measure of a business’ success is dependent on what’s important to the owner.

“I’m self-employed but I still take days off, don’t work crazy hours, travel often, prioritise time with friends and family, enjoy public holidays, stop working when I’m sick, I’m not always available and I have a life,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

She remarked that despite achieving a healthy work-life balance like an employee, she still has a thriving business.

She expressed strong emotions against the narrative that when one sets up on their own, they become a slave to their business.

“Your measure of success is dependent on whats important to you and that sometimes looks like more flexibility, autonomy and freedom. Don’t compare yourself to people who don’t share the same vision,” she commented.

But how does one set aside work and prioritise a healthy work-life balance?

1) Plan ahead

Whether it’s planning ahead for a week-long vacation or a couple of days in bed because of the flu, being self-employed requires having mitigation plans in case something goes south.

Whether it’s to cover yourself financially or to not be overloaded with work, planning ahead will help keep up workflow. Subsequently, staying on top of your to-do list will automatically reduce stress of always having to keep up with tasks and deadlines.

Planning one week or one month at a time not only keep you aware of all the events, meetings and deadlines but should also give you a clear picture of the time slots you have available.

This can be utilised to manage meeting with clients better but also gives you space to practise self-care.

2) Setting boundaries

When you have your own business it’s easy to keep working late hours. Many remark that when you love what you do, you do not view it as work. Nonetheless, burnout build up can lead to longer recovery time both mentally and physically.

Abiding by strict working hours should help you differentiate between work and life.

Nonetheless, life happens and sometimes meetings take longer than anticipated and priorities shift, among others. That is why it’s important to schedule ‘buffer zones’ or dedicated time slots that do not take away from your personal life.

That way, you can comfortably keep up with work demands without decreasing your time to unwind.

3) Reversing a worried mindset

Oftentimes, a relaxing vacation discovering new environments and cultures will refresh your mind. This subsequently leads you to go back to work with fresh ideas and being well-rested.

Before heading to a holiday, changing the mindset to remind yourself of the benefits of taking time off, will make you feel less overwhelmed or ‘guilty’ of leaving work behind.  

4) Outsourcing

While having many talents is a gift that should be taken advantage of, doing everything yourself is not always practical. Outsource things that can still be done without your input.

Outsourcing can be done in terms of administrative work for your business but also household tasks.

Work smart!

5) Maximising slow periods

Every month of the year is a new opportunity to work on your business and so “there’s never the right time” to take time off. Identifying slow periods throughout the year can make taking time off easier.

Knowing when to take time off months in advance can also be ideal for planning time off with family members, who might not afford the same luxury of being flexible.