Article Is a workcation for you?

Lately, it seems like you can’t move for freelancers taking workcations, right?

So many freelancers who aren’t full-time digital nomads are taking their laptops on the road for a few days or even weeks or months at a time, and we love seeing so many of you living your best lives.

But maybe you’ve seen all the LinkedIn posts and are wondering whether a workcation is potentially something that could work for you.

Well then, let’s take a look at some of the things that could determine whether a working holiday might work wonders for you, or whether it’s just not a workable idea. After all, it’s definitely not right for everyone!

And after we’ve been through all that, if you’ve decided that it is time for you to take your laptop on the road, we’ll share our tips for making it a wonderful experience you’ll want to repeat time and time again.

Not all holidays should be working ones

The first thing we want to stress, before we go any further, is the importance of taking proper breaks.

A working holiday is great for a change of scenery and can be refreshing and invigorating, but it can’t take the place of proper time off.

You need to regularly take time away from your business, emails and social media to recharge your batteries. We don’t care how many times we have to say it, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

So if you haven’t had a proper break this year, you’re well overdue, and you should come back to the working holiday idea once you’ve had an actual holiday.

It’s also really important to understand that not all holidays work well as workcations, and if you try and turn certain kinds of trips into working ones, you might well end up wishing you’d just stayed at home.

For example, it’s probably not a good idea to take your laptop if you’re:

• Visiting family or friends for a short time and will struggle to fit everyone in around your work schedule.
• Going somewhere you’ve never been before, but won’t have time to see everything you want to if you’ve got your head buried in your laptop all day.
• Travelling with someone (or multiple people, kids included), who isn’t working whilst you’re on your trip and will struggle to do things independently or will resent the fact you’re not spending time with them.

As you probably already know, all of the above could lead to a trip that’s just a bit manic and stressful, with you feeling guilty about not spending enough time with important people, frustrated about missing out or feeling bad for neglecting your work.

Do you adapt well to new environments?

We’re strong advocates for everyone working in their own way, on their own terms, and never doing something like this just because it’s what everyone else is doing.

So, another thing to give careful thought to before you decide working holidays are for you is being able to work well in different environments.

If you’re the type who needs a quiet home office with two screens to get anything done (which is totally fair enough), you probably already know that a working trip isn’t going to suit you, and don’t need us to tell you.

Although you can get portable second screens - just saying!

But if you’re an adaptable sort and find you can pretty much concentrate wherever you are, even finding a bit of a background buzz helpful, then you’ll thrive, as you’ll be able to take your laptop out and about and soak up the atmosphere while you work.

A change is as good as a rest

All that being said, we’re big fans of working holidays, and if the experience is right for you it can be incredibly liberating.

It’s a way to escape and enjoy a change of scene, even when you can’t afford to take time off or don’t fancy it, for whatever reason.

Not everyone is in a position to be able to up and leave home, as having dependents can make that impossible.

But if this is an option for you, why not embrace it? Freelancing has its downsides, so make sure you make the very most of the upsides.

Tips for a workcation you’ll love

1. If you can, make it a solo trip

We’ve found that unless you’re with someone on the same work schedule as you, working holidays are best as independent affairs.

You might visit friends or family, or even other freelancers, but essentially you should be able to call the shots on your break. You’re already working around your projects and clients, so in an ideal world you won’t have to work around anyone else too.

2. Work your way

There’s no one right way to approach or organise a trip like this. It’s entirely up to you how you go about it.

You might decide to stick to the same working hours every day, or you might go with the flow and work around opportunities that crop up, changing your hours as you see fit.

This will largely depend on how you tend to operate and what works best for you. If you’re a creature of habit and struggle to concentrate without a routine, then set hours are definitely the way forward.

3. Scale it back

If you can, it’s always best to try and work a little less than you usually would when you’re on a working holiday. After all, you’ve spent the money and time getting to your destination, so it would be a real shame to live in your work bubble the whole time, not giving yourself a chance to experience it.

Consider taking a long weekend, with a Friday or Monday tacked on, or decide to only work in the mornings or afternoons, depending on when you’re most productive.

4. Connect with your community

There are wonderful freelance translators all over the place, so why not use your trips as an excuse to meet them in person?

It’s always great comparing notes with someone else in the same boat as you, and they’ll be the best people to give you advice on things to see and do.

5. Don’t try and do it all

It’s important to have realistic expectations of yourself during these trips.

Don’t expect to be able to get through quite as much work as you might at home, as you’ll have better things to do!

If you can’t take things more slowly with client work, you could consider taking a break from your marketing whilst you’re away so you’ve got a little more time to play with, and you don’t end up feeling stressed, desperately trying to fit everything in.

6. Give your clients a heads-up

If you’ll be on a different time zone or schedule, let your clients know in plenty of time so they can make plans accordingly.

7. Practise your language skills

The world is your oyster, but some of your working holidays could be spent in places where you can practise your source languages for some extra CPD.

A great way to justify the cost of your jaunt to yourself, should you need one!

8. Try housesitting

For a budget workcation, why not give housesitting a go?

Get a change of scene on the cheap, some furry company whilst you work, and a non-negotiable reason to get out of the house regularly, if there’s a dog in need of walks!

We know lots of translators have had great success with sites like TrustedHousesitters.

9. Think green

If you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, as we know many of you are, remember you don’t have to hop on a plane to take a working holiday.

Explore your home country or see where you can get to using public transport. Depending on where you live, you might be surprised how far you can go!

As freelancers, we can work as we travel and might not be under tight time constraints, so we’re often in a better position than other people to take the slow, more planet-friendly travel option.

If you can’t spare the time or the slower option is more expensive, you could look into taking the train out and flying back, or think about how you can tack working holidays on to other trips you’re taking, making the very most of every flight you get on.

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