Taking time off as a freelancer...

...and not rushing the integration either

I’ve just got back from a week in Spain.

A HOLIDAY.

This does feel monumental for me as a freelancer to have booked a whole week off back in January.

Said no to work.

Closed my laptop for 7 days.

Left an out of office and honoured it, only responding to messages on the day I said I would (today).

I’ve worked for myself for 9 years and yet my usual pattern is:

• feeling like a need a holiday

• looking at my diary, not seeing any chunks of time that I can go away because of pre-booked work or meetings that I can’t move

• telling myself that next year I must remember to book time off in advance

• forgetting to do this

This year I actually booked time off and I feel so damn proud of myself!

There is a lot that came up on this week away, and I notice a hesitance to summarise it all here… I want to keep some of that slow Spanish pace I tapped into on my time away.

It’s a strange thing, this writing a newsletter. Where all your experiences can be viewed through the lens of sharing learnings with an audience. Similar to when I did stand-up and was always looking for funny angles on my life to put into my sets.

I’m wanting to share so much, and yet also wanting to take my time too.

So I thought, what I might do, is share some of the topics I want to write about… and maybe they will emerge over the next few weeks…

1. The challenge of taking time off as a freelancer and how unusual it felt to be truly switching off for 7 days.

2. How I went from battle to acceptance/collaboration with my brain/ego/anxiety to allow myself to switch off.

3. The pros and cons of solo travelling - loneliness + shame of not being in a couple vs. total freedom and autonomy of every moment of my day.

4. The experience of moving from my head to my feet in deciding how to spend my days - moving from fixed plans to surrender and emergence (it doesn’t feel like it’s me walking!)

5. The difference between a nagging internal voice and an inner wisdom that I should listen to and how it guided me on my trip.

6. The recent podcast from Glennon Doyle where she says we are always all the ages forever ‘‘you’ll always be 16’’ and how I re-connected with my 21 year old self (the age I was when I lived in Seville on my year abroad) and the wonderful qualities this version of Sarah brings to my current life.

7. What it’s like to actually give your brain a break from working on projects, thinking about big life decisions…

I’ll see what emerges in the coming weeks once I’ve settled back in (I know, I’ve only been away a week but a week in Spanish pace and 26 degree sunshine and cafe culture is a total reset!)

And if there are any of these topics that you think ‘YES! START THERE!’ I’d love to know.

Big hug to you all,

Sarah x

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EVENTS TO GET INVOLVED IN!

***TONIGHT! Monday 20th March!***

Spring Equinox Celebration at St Ethelberga’s Centre in Liverpool Street.

Singing, dancing, cacao. I’ll be leading the singing. It’s going to be gorgeous!

Tickets here