I can’ remember the last Bank Holiday Monday I took off. I’m self employed and I find it much easier working Bank Holiday and then taking another day off instead. Let me explain to you why.
Bank Holidays Are Busy
Firstly, Bank Holiday Mondays are usually busy. There’s a vast amount of people who have the day off their jobs and try and spend it doing something nice with their families. Or simply drive to the DIY shop to do some home sorting. Whatever the reason, the roads are usually busy. People are returning from long weekends and everything seems hectic. When we go places as a family we like it to be fairly quiet. I can’t cope with big crowds and so using the freedom of being self employed to swap out the official Bank Holiday to another day we can enjoy a family day, works for us.
Less Distractions
I also find working Bank Holiday less distracting. As I work with so many different clients, they’re likely not in the office on Bank Holiday. This means I can get on with work, distraction free. Clients aren’t contacting me asking me to do specific things. I can focus on the work and get it done faster.
Put Those Emails In Their Inboxes
I don’t keep my emails open on my desktop anymore. I dip into them when I need to. What I like to do is reply to all the emails I need to, send over the work I have to. This puts the ball in the court of the client, so they now have to come back to me. This is great to do on a Bank Holiday as you know you’re not likely to get an immediate reply like you might do any other day.
Work That List
There are so many jobs that keep getting put to the bottom of the list. Jobs that are often a busman’s holiday. When was the last time you focused on your work brand? Or updated your own website? We can get solely focused, and rightly so, on client work. It does pay after all! Our own stuff gets cast aside time and again. If you manage to bat everything back over to the client and get your work done, take an hour or two for your own projects. Make that new logo, list those new products. It could even be just cleaning your office! A messy environment lends itself to messy work. A tidy desk helps keep a tidy mind.
Finish Early
I like to try and finish early on a Bank Holiday. After all, at the end of the day it is a Bank Holiday. Whether we cook together or order a takeaway, we like to eat together and spend time together as a family. I want to work to life, not live to work and whilst working Bank Holiday might sound odd after stating that, I find it helps when being self employed.
Of course, these are only my tips that I find work for me. You must find a working method that is right for you. We must adapt our way of working to suit our lifestyle and what we want out of this world. Have a great Bank Holiday Monday, whatever you’re up to!
