As a freelance performer you have probably been working hard all year. The holidays could be a stressful time of year as family dinners are abundant and Christmas is around the corner. As a freelancer, wondering how to land gigs, make time for family and take time for yourself during the holidays can be stressful. Depending on your goals this holiday season, there are tips for surviving the struggles. Planning your year in advance, creating time in your schedule for family and making down time to rest and regroup are all great tips to take into consideration while surviving the holidays as a freelance performer.

Clear Your Schedule

Freelancers, slowing the pace and taking time for yourself is imperative. As a freelance performer you are constantly racking your brain thinking of ways to find work or stay busy, but don’t neglect YOU. Remember that a healthy mind is a healthy body and spending time blocking out your schedule during Thanksgiving and Christmas is not going to hinder your work ethic. The importance of making time for family and spending time with your loved ones will bring you back down to earth. Something special happens around this time of year. You can always make money, you can always find gigs, but you cannot replace the time and memories made with loved ones during the holidays.

Feeling Under The Weather:

The common cold or flu always loves to knock on your door when the weather changes and you may be feeling like you need a break to recoup. Don’t get down on yourself. Instead, take the time to reflect on the past year and give yourself some tender loving care. It is okay to put aside work for a little while especially if you are sick and being under stress will prolong the healing process for your body. There are many homeopathic ways to heal such as oils for a diffuser like Eucalyptus and Peppermint, taking a nice epsom salt bath to soak your muscles and getting plenty of uninterrupted rest. Your body is your instrument so make sure to make time to heal before going full throttle back into work mode. Here are some quick fix remedies for the common cold or flu.

Quick Fix Tips For Common Cold/ Flu To Survive The Holidays:

• Give yourself at least a week to have down time and focus on your health. If you are sick you cannot work to your fullest potential so make the time for yourself.

• Drink tons of water. Warm lemon water with honey every morning loosens up any congestion and boost your immune system. If you know about alkalized water, it balances your pH acidic levels in your body which is ideal in getting your body back on track. Companies such as Real Water supply a water tank and 5 gallon water deliveries to your door. They offer a 9.5 pH alkalized water or higher to balance out your bodies negative ions.

• Get well soup is the ultimate cure. If your family has a get well soup recipe see if one of your family members can make it full of organic vegetables and herbs, such as garlic and turmeric, to kick the bug. If you don’t know of a family recipe check out these amazing concoctions from AllRecipes.com.

• Take a yoga class or go to the gym. When you body is sick, sweating out the toxins and sitting in a sauna at the gym works wonders. Even try taking a yoga or pilates class to stretch your achy body will make you feel an instant relief. There are many poses and techniques to use that can help fatigue, congestions, coughs and get your back to feeling your best in no time.

• Take your vitamins regularly. The best 5 vitamins to take while kicking a cold quickly are: Echinacea, Vitamin C, Probiotics, Garlic, Ginseng, and zinc which boosts your immune system. You can take these supplements with your daily vitamins as well. Kick start your body so you can be your best for the holidays and start the new year feeling the best you can.

Don’t forget to take time for yourself, your family get togethers and stay focused on your work as a freelance performer. Surviving the holidays are overwhelming between family functions, feeling under the weather and staying focused. If you follow these tips you will be more organized and prepared when this time of year comes around.

Plan Your Year in Advance

While the holidays approach, so does a new year. In order to become prepared for next year’s holidays start getting a planner and have a goal to book at least 5 gigs before the next year begins. This will give you a sense of stability and focus to help you get through the holidays with a feeling of security. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Not only will planning ahead give you a concise idea as to how your year is going to go, It will relieve any stress you are feeling if you decide to take down time during the holidays. Your down time could be searching for gigs to fill up the year ahead and it will make you feel as if you’ve still accomplished something as a freelance performer.

Working Through The Holidays:

If you are a workaholic and decide to continue to book gigs throughout the holidays, stay prepared. There will be a change in weather so dress accordingly. Wear scarfs, stay warm, continue taking your vitamins and boost your immune system so you can power through. During the holidays there are so many opportunities to work for trade shows, hostess opportunities at private events, promotional modeling for holiday related work parties and so on. It is smart to stay organized and make enough time to not become overwhelmed. Only apply for jobs that you are certain you can commit to. This will help you build strong connections with future employers that may want you to work for them again. As a freelance performer you represent yourself so don’t put too much on your plate.

How To Find Jobs For Next Year:

Look into web platforms that have job offerings posted often. Websites such as Castango.com allow you to view jobs that are posted months in advance. You can apply to as many gigs as you want and continue to feel accomplished through the holidays. Finding gigs through Facebook groups is a great way to utilize your social media and communicate with companies as well as other freelance performers. You will be surprised how many people post jobs months in advance so they have enough time to find their perfect future employee.

Whether your goal this holiday season is to take some time to recoup or work straight through, there are many tips to follow in order to survive the holidays as a freelance performer. The stress of family and work can negatively effect your mind, body and soul so stay positive and organized. If you are still wondering where to find gigs through the holidays don’t forget to check out Castango.com. It is convenient and gives you the ability to connect with companies direct as well as apply for jobs in the future. Depending on your goals this holiday season, there are tips for surviving the struggles. Planning your year in advance, creating time in your schedule for family and making down time to rest and regroup are all great tips to take into consideration while surviving the holidays as a freelance performer.