20+ Freelance Tasks to Do When You’re Quiet

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Sometimes as a freelancer or remote worker, you find yourself in a quiet period – and that’s okay. However, this is when freelancer self-doubt can start to emerge, and it can be easy to worry.

Will I ever get work again? Do I need to find new clients? Why is it so quiet?

Freelancing always feels so personal. Everything is down to you – from taxes and admin to completing client work, so it can feel a little personal when work goes quiet too.

However, I’m here to tell you that it’s completely normal to be quiet. It’s the feast/famine cycle at work – and every freelancer experiences it. Maybe your clients are reducing their budget or maybe you’ve just come to the end of a great project.

One of the best ways to deal with quiet time is to have a list of productive and helpful things you can do when work is a bit thin on the ground.

In this blog post, I’ve put together an ultimate list of tasks to do when you’re quiet. Keep this list in your back pocket whenever you need a few ideas!

1. Take some time off!

If work is quiet, maybe this is the perfect time to take a bit of time off? You could make the most of your quiet time by enjoying some downtime.

Although it’s normal for freelance life to experience ups and downs, you don’t always have to push for new clients when work is quiet.

Use this time to take time off and relax – and get ready for when work picks up again.

2. Attend a workshop

I recently joined Fellow Freelancers, which gives me access to workshops about anything and everything – from making more money to building an effective freelance brand.

By attending a workshop, you can meet other freelancers and get out of your own head. You can also learn something new – which will make you more attractive to potential clients.

3. Spend time working on your business

Spend your quiet time working on your business!

Complete those tasks you never get a chance to do when you’re working for clients, such as planning your next quarter, giving yourself an appraisal and editing your portfolio.

If you offer top-quality translation services for your clients, you could spend some time thinking about the services you want to include on your website, for example.

4. Create new LinkedIn posts

Use your quiet time to get creative and create a few new LinkedIn posts. If you’re a writer like me, I like being able to express my creativity on social media – and quiet time is the perfect time to get a few posts scheduled.

Once work picks up again, you’ll be happy to have a few posts ready to go out when you’re too busy to post in real-time.

5. Send off pitches

If your work is quiet, you could send off a few pitches for new work. If you’re a writer like me, that might mean pitching an idea to a magazine, or you might want to pitch yourself to a potential client.

Throwing myself into a task like pitching helps me feel productive even when times are quiet.

6. Do your tax return

The dreaded tax return! Sorting out your taxes is a great use of your quiet time. It needs to be done, but it always seems so hard to actually sit down and get started.

When work picks up, you might not have time to do it – so make the most of your quiet time.

7. Read a book

Sometimes you’ve done everything you can to reach out to new clients and keep yourself busy – and work is still quiet. Pick up a book to entertain yourself while things are quiet.

This can give you a good break from screens, and if you read a book about freelancing you can learn something new, too.

8. Write a blog post for yourself

When you’re busy, you might not have time to update your website on a regular basis. If you’re experiencing a quiet period, write a blog post for yourself.

This will improve your website’s SEO and it also creates a good batch of content for social media inspiration, too. You can express a bit of creativity and further your business, even while client work is quiet.

9. Write an e-book

I recently attended a great workshop about passive income and how to make money without actively working on client work. Writing an ebook is a great way to do that.

You can work on your e-book whenever you have time to yourself, including quiet time. This is a great way to stay productive – and it could help you make money at the end, too.

10. Update your social media platforms

You never know when someone who needs your services will stumble upon your profile – so you need to keep it looking good.

Update your pinned tweet, add all the correct information to your LinkedIn profile or post on Instagram.

11. Sort out your life admin

Life admin can really stack up, especially when work is super busy. If you’re quiet, take some time to sort out your life admin. You could do a bit of housework, clean up your filing system or just sort out anything that’s been on your list for a while.

Sorting out these tasks can really help to clear your mind – and a quiet stretch is the perfect time to do that.

12. Practise your craft

I discussed this in my blog post about finding your first freelance gig. Practising your craft is a great way to use your time. Sometimes when it’s quiet, you can spend all your time panicking and looking for new opportunities.

Taking a second to breathe and practise your skills can give you a productive, meaningful way to spend your time.

13. Edit your website

Your website is an important place for clients to find out about your work – so keep updating and editing it whenever you have a quiet period. This might mean adding a couple of blog posts or updating your contact information.

It’s also a good idea to do a few behind-the-scenes tasks on your website, making sure everything loads correctly and you’re giving clients the best user experience.

14. Get creative

When work is quiet, you might find it hard to feel inspired. Getting creative can help you push through your quiet period and enjoy yourself a bit.

You could go out for a walk, do a bit of artwork or enjoy writing something that’s not for work. There are so many ways to get creative.

Expressing your creativity can help you think about new ways of doing things. You might unlock an idea to find a client or you might think of a new way to complete your work.

15. Search for new clients

If you’re experiencing a quiet period, you might want to start searching for new clients. I’ve tried to add more creative bits and pieces to this list – but looking for new clients is an important part of quiet time too.

You could chase any leads, apply for a few new opportunities and put out feelers on your social media channels.

16. Reach out for testimonials

One of the best freelance tasks to do when you’re quiet is reaching out for testimonials from old clients. Email long-term and short-term clients for a short testimonial.

You can add any testimonials to your portfolio, post them on social media and create a page for your website to promote yourself to other clients.

This could help you get new clients – and it gives you something productive to do while work is quiet.

17. Brush up your skills

Brushing up your skills is a great use of your time – and it could help you get new clients, too.

Attend an online lesson, follow a course or read a blog post from a more experienced freelancer. This is a great way to learn a few new skills – and your clients will appreciate it.

18. Reach out to past clients

Use your quiet time to reach out to past clients. Can they refer you to someone else? Do they need more work from you?

Even just chatting with a happy client can boost your spirits and banish any imposter syndrome. It’s so important to use your client connections whenever you can.

19. Message other freelancers

I love messaging and chatting with other freelancers, but these connections can be particularly helpful when you’re experiencing a quiet stretch.

You can reach out to other freelancers for solidarity and support – or just chat with them and get out of your own head.

You never know when a freelancer might be able to recommend you for new work, too.

20. Engage on social media

Although it’s a good idea to post on social media to promote yourself and your services, sometimes it can be hard to find the time to actually engage with your followers and potential clients.

Engaging with people online is a great freelance task to do when you’re quiet. Like some posts, leave some comments and message a few connections.

21. Remember: you will be busy again!

Last but not least, it’s important to remember that you will be busy again. Work will pick up and you’ll find new clients soon.

It’s hard to remember if you’re experiencing a particularly quiet period – but it’s true. Freelancing goes up and down – and sometimes you just have to accept that!

For more freelance tips and tricks, check out my blog post about popular freelance myths – let’s debunk those stereotypes!

Do you have any ideas for when your freelance work is quiet? What do you like to do when work is quiet? Do you have any tips for managing the feast/famine cycle?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments 🙂

Happy reading x