Some of you might follow me on Twitter (@teacupssaucers) and may know that I recently got work as a full-time-ish freelance copy editor. It’s awesome that I get paid to do what I studied (BA in English!) and I don’t have to leave home to do it. Where we live now public transportation is very spotty and unreliable and my husband and I can only afford one car at the moment. So it’s even better that I don’t have to worry about transit for work.
As a freelancer, it can feel like it’s always feast or famine. Either you have too much work to do or nothing. Being contracted by a firm has helped me have a steadier stream of work and I usually dedicate about three days a week to editing. It fluctuates depending on how many manuscripts I have and how long they are. And sometimes I do get stuck having to work over the weekend to meet a deadline. I also still work one or two nights a week at another part-time job in the hospitality sector for extra steady income (and discounts on hotel stays– yay perks!).
Working from home lets me make my own schedule and have time to work on my own projects, like my own novel as well as crafting projects, volunteer stuff with a community group, and trying out recipes and bread-making techniques. Overall, I like it. So here’s an example of the schedule I try to keep on a freelance work day.
Morning
My husband gets up around 6:30 and leaves around 7:15. I usually get up with him to make sure he’s got food packed for the day and see him off with a smooch. Then I usually go back to bed for a couple of hours. I am not a morning person. So, usually around 9:30 I get up. I start my day by moisturizing my face and having a glass of water.
Sometimes I’ll write down my dreams, or work a little bit on my novel first thing.
I try to start the morning with some stretches or a short, but invigorating kettlebell pilates session, 15-20 minutes. I may wash my hair as well, but I try not to do that every day because it gets frizzy. I don’t usually eat first thing because I’m not hungry, and I like having a long fast between the last meal of the night and the first meal of the day (12-14 hours, ideally). But, I’ll usually have coffee or tea then and get started checking my emails and lining up tasks for the day.
Afternoon
After I work for a couple hours, I’ll usually take a break and finally eat something, a salad, some Korean dumplings, an omelet. I’ll catch up on some house chores like dishes, laundry, or vacuuming then. Then I’ll get back to work for a few more hours. I like to take breaks about every two hours to stretch, tidy, and grab a snack like some nuts or apple slices and a glass of water.
My little office friend likes to come sit next to me or right on my lap if she can. I like to play music in the background or documentaries because it can get tedious otherwise and be hard to stay focused. My brain likes something in the background. Lucy Worsley’s documentaries for the BBC area personal favorite or sewing videos by Bernadette Banner.
Sometimes I’ll start preparing some food, especially if I’m slow simmering some broth or letting some dough rise.
Evening
After my husband gets home around 5:00 I’ll usually stop editing for the day. Some nights we’ll go out and meet friends or run errands. We have date nights every couple of weeks. On nights in we might take a walk, have dinner together, and sometimes watch a movie or play games. I usually work on my knitting or sewing projects while we watch something. I try not to eat after 9 pm because I don’t sleep or digest as well when I do.
After he falls asleep between 10 and 11 I’ll usually work a bit more, but on my personal projects. Right now, for example, I’m outlining a new story idea as well as working on designing and sewing accessories commissioned by a coworker for a cosplay he’s developing.
I’ll go through my evening grooming rituals and get into bed around midnight. Sometimes I’ll read a bit if I can’t fall asleep right away. Sometimes I’m very tired and fall asleep immediately.
And that’s a glamorous day in the life of a freelance copy editor. Let me know if you have any questions about work-from-home life!
Young, Broke, Trying to be Healthy 