Deadline Survival: the Joys of Freelancing

As I was recently working through several deadline-intense weeks and feeling the grind, I thought I’d share my “survival guide” for stressed-out, manic copyeditors, proofreaders, and anyone else who finds herself up against a hard deadline (or two or three).

1. Sharing is caring.  Share the stress!  Let someone close to you know about the hell you’re going through.  Make it clear to friends and family that you may be out of touch for a while.  But assure them that you’ll be back when you can.  

2. Heating pad.  As a copyeditor, I not only correct grammar, style, and usage and make erudite suggestions.  I also format.  And that formatting often involves performing repetitive, Cirque du Soleil-style maneuvers on the keyboard.  My fingers and my hands get really sore, especially when I’m working on quick turn-around deadlines.  For this, I wrap my hands in my trusty heating pad (set on *high*) every night before I fall asleep.  And sometimes (before wrapping in the heating pad), I massage a little BioFreeze into the old fingers, just for good measure. 

3. Food.  I love to cook.  But when time is of the essence and I’m faced with deadlines, I unfortunately don’t have time for the joy of cooking.  When I foresee a major project coming down the road, I prepare.  I'll have on hand a batch of chili and/or a pot of healthful soup.  I make sure there are breads and bagels in the freezer and a nice selection of cheeses in the ‘frig. I purchase celery and carrots, chop them into edible sticks, and store them in right-sized baggies.  I make sure that certain items are close at hand: eggs (hard boiled and egg salad), clementines, tea, Coke, juice, water, dark chocolate.  And if I am too time-pressed and stressed out to do any of the above, I enlist the help of a loved one. (Refer to Number 1, above.)

4. Evian spritz:  Evian face spritz was big in the '70s and ‘80s. For me, it has never gone out of style.  I LOVE this stuff.  It wakes me up, and it makes me feel cleansed.  I suppose I could just as easily put some tap water in a plastic spray bottle . . . .  

5. Quick, hot showers.  When I’m working (and because I work from home), I sometimes forget about taking showers.  Ha ha ha ha.  But sometimes, there’s nothing like a steaming hot shower (or bath) to keep it going. While the heat is soothing and relaxing, the water is rejuvenating.  Ahhhh … the simple things.  And, I do recommend doing this twice a week.

6. Alternate Work Places:  Although I have a home office (which is up on the third floor), I prefer to work on my laptop, in my living room.  Lately, I’ve taken to moving myself and my work to – you’re not going to believe this – my bedroom!  Shame on me, right?  I happen to have a lovely, huge bedroom; and in one corner, which has floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, I have a chaise longue and a side table.  When the sun is shining on that side of the house, there is no better place in my house to be.  Feet up, arms on their proper armrests, good support on my back.  Lovely! However, I must be honest with you.  With a particularly boring treatise, I have been known to snooze right there in the chaise.  Anyway, I digress.  My point is this:  While some say that it’s important for freelancers to have one dedicated work space, I believe in the freedom of movement and the joy of having a variety of work places. Whatever space you need to get that deadline done ....

Whatever sensory event or food or surroundings you need to accomplish that deadline ....   It's yours for the taking.  So many joys of freelancing!