Taking A Leave As A Freelancer

Life is funny. Sometimes you get the cosmic “sit down” without warning.

I’m in the middle of week three of my medical leave of absence from my business. It’s something that I’ve afforded myself to regroup and regain strength after surgery. Partially because I couldn’t get a decent answer for planning, I also heeded a few warnings from friends who had surgery and went back to work too soon.

Those of you who know me understand that I don’t sit still very well and that I like to be busy on a personal and professional level. My days have gone from creating with leadership teams and riding my mare with particular training goals to only soft pants and very long naps with my dogs. It’s weird.

Taking a chunk of time off when self-employed is one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. Telling clients that I needed to do this was frankly terrifying. Fortunately, I have wonderful humans as clients that understand and have been supportive.

This forced change was necessary to stay healthy, but it also came with the realization that I was very burnt out and needed some mental downtime.

It also forced me to ask for help. Usually, I’m on the helping end, so it’s been a learning curve, but also a blessing, to rely heavily on others in the past few weeks. Giving up control of your routine, driving, walking for more than 10 minutes, and overall control of how your body feels = uncomfortable for a control freak like me.

The past few weeks has made me so grateful for the people in my life. My family and friends are amazing and have pulled out all the stops to fill the gaps, making sure I have a stack of reading and coverage for my mare’s saddle time. It’s truly humbling.

I plan to be back in the saddle as soon as possible and back in the office in a few short weeks. Thanks to everyone that’s given me the space not to feel pressure to “do.” Will see you all soon!

Amanda MacDonald

Amanda MacDonald

Founder of Full Gallop Communications

Amanda is a marketing veteran that works with businesses on improving brand communication, marketing strategy, and creating content marketing. When not in the office, Amanda can be found at the barn with her horse, walking her two dogs on Lake Ontario or baking something carbtastic in the oven.

Contact her at hello@fullgallopcomm.com to inquire about how your marketing efforts can become more successful.

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