How to Create Boundaries as a Freelancer – My Top Tips

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Creating boundaries as a freelancer is essential.

First, you need to think about creating boundaries with clients. This can help you avoid burn-out and see your work as separate from your personal life. Second, you’ll need to think about creating boundaries with family and friends, giving you the chance to focus on work when you need it.

However, sometimes it can be hard to understand how to create effective boundaries as a freelancer, especially if you’re just starting out or you’re currently trying to build your business.

I’ve put together a simple guide to creating healthy boundaries as a freelancer! Whether you’re a freelancer, remote worker or you’re just working from home – I hope this guide can help.

Why is it important to create boundaries as a freelancer?

It’s so important to create boundaries as a freelancer. Creating boundaries with clients can help you:

• Avoid burn-out
• Stop work from encroaching on your personal life
• Sustainably grow your business
• Remind yourself that life isn’t just about work!

In a traditional job, you can get separation between you and the office by simply coming home. However, if you’re a freelancer or remote worker, you need to create this separation yourself by implementing healthy boundaries in your life.

Creating a boundary between your work life and your personal life can also help you get work done. You need to make sure your family and friends know that, just because you’re in the house, it doesn’t mean you’re not working.

But this can be easier said than done when you’re working from home! With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few tips and tricks…

My tips to create boundaries as a freelancer

There are so many ways to create boundaries as a freelancer – and it can depend on what works best for you.

However, some of the best ways to build freelance boundaries include:

1. Tell everyone your working times
2. Don’t reply outside of your working hours
3. Choose a place to work
4. Get out of the house!

Let’s take a look at some of these tips in a little more detail.

Tell everyone your working times

Coming up with regular working times is a great way to create an effective and productive freelance routine – but it doesn’t work if you don’t stick to them. While you want to leave some room for flexibility, make sure the people around you know when you’re working – and when it’s okay to interrupt.

For example, you might want to work 9 to 12 in the morning. If that’s the case, tell anyone in the house that you’re working until lunchtime – and create a set break for yourself at the end. This will make sure everyone in the house knows you’re working, giving you time to focus.

You also need to tell your clients your working times. When you onboard a new freelance client, tell them your hours, whether it’s 9 to 5 or 10 to 3. This will create a clear boundary for your clients from the start, making it harder for them to push into your personal life.

Don’t reply outside of your working hours

Now that you’ve set your working times, you need to remember that your clients won’t be expecting a reply outside of those times.

Although there’s nothing wrong with starting early or working late from time to time, it’s important to maintain your boundaries when it comes to client emails or messages. Don’t get into the habit of checking and replying to client emails outside of your normal working hours, as they may then expect you to always be available.

You need to reduce the risk of clients pushing your boundaries by keeping them firmly in place. In fact, if a client constantly tries to push your boundaries, this could be a sign of a freelance red flag.

You can also do this by leaving work emails off your phone. That way, you can avoid hearing about work when you should be taking time off, giving you a healthy mental break.

Choose a specific place to work

Choosing a specific place to work can help you switch off after a day of work. Your workspace is for work, and your home space is for your personal life.

Make sure to switch off from work after you’ve finished for the day by doing something different, like going to the gym, going for a run, chatting with friends or making tea.

Setting up a productive home office for yourself can also show other people in the house that you’re busy working at certain times of the day, reducing interruptions and distractions.

Get out of the house

Getting out of the house can help you treat your work separately from your home life. It means people can’t just drop by when you’re supposed to be working, and you won’t have to deal with post, parcels or housework as a work-from-home distraction.

If you’re a remote worker, there are lots of places you can choose to work out of the house, including:

• Cafés
• Pubs
• Co-working spaces
• Libraries
• A friend’s house
• The garden (weather dependent!)

It’s one of my favourite things about freelancing – as long as I have a laptop I can work wherever I want. Whether you provide freelance translation services or you’re busy writing, there are lots of jobs you can do just as well remotely.

How do you create boundaries as a freelancer? What is your top tip to maintain a healthy work/life balance? Do you find it hard to stay focused as a freelancer?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments 🙂

Happy reading x