When news of the school closings and social distancing procedures hit Atlanta, I was bummed. As the coronavirus sent everyone home for the potentially long haul, I couldn’t help feel a sense of anxiety. How was I going to get anything done? It’s not that my whole routine changed, I’m always home for work, I freelance. The issue became whether or not I could work from home and be at home at the same time.

Working from home

People joke all the time about how those of us who get to work from...

It’s not easy to hit the “stop” button when you work from home. The very convenience of your computer, your email, everything is right there. Even with my kids home, doing their own thing, it’s so easy to get lost in what I have to do. I forget to do something each day I want to do. It can be as simple as cuddling on the couch to watch a movie, but more often it’s finding time to do something quiet, and alone.

Between work, family, errands, and chores, we all need a time for a brain break....

This is not a topic I’m thrilled to think about. As a freelancer, I’ve created a work-life balance for myself that is perfectly catered to my own needs. I know when the best times are, for me, to get work done, and when I need to be available for my family. None of this falls into a 9-5 opening of course.

Yet, the hardest part of being a freelancer is consistency. It’s near impossible to guarantee the same workload will come in each month, which means paychecks vary. Although, even without...