Sometimes Life Forces Us to Pause
I’ll be honest — I’ve had to step away before.
From the gym. From my creative business. From the momentum I’d worked so hard to build.
And if you’re a freelancer, you probably have too.
Maybe it was burnout. Maybe a family emergency. Maybe financial pressure.
Or maybe you just needed a break…and that’s okay.
Because Life Happens.
There’s no shame in pausing. None.
The list of now-successful freelancers who had to take a salaried job at some point is long. Really long.
Here are just a few. Maybe you can relate.
- https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2021/08/16/returning-to-freelancing-from-the-9-5-world/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/why-left-freelancing-go-back-corporate-job-2022-6
- https://medium.com/%40stevenyung/what-i-learned-coming-back-to-freelancing-bfe44991ebd4
You didn’t fail…you just paused.
And that pause might have been exactly what you needed to rebuild with intention.
You Can’t Rush a Comeback
When I was recording a slow core strength workout for my podcast, it struck me how perfectly it mirrors what it feels like to re-enter the freelance world after a break.
The movements are deliberate. Controlled. Grounded in presence, not speed.
You can’t force your way into flow. You ease into it.
And that’s the mindset freelancers need, too.
Because let’s face it: we tend to beat ourselves up when we lose momentum.
We compare ourselves to others who “kept going.”
We imagine the soreness before we even start.
We anticipate the struggle before we take the first step.
But that’s wasted energy.
Acceptance — real acceptance — doesn’t mean giving up.
It means acknowledging what you can’t control: the market, the algorithm, your health, the unpredictable timing of life stuff.
I once worked in research, and we used to say:
“Your constants aren’t, and your variables won’t.”
In other words: the only constant is change.
Sometimes that means pivoting, adjusting, or even taking a job that isn’t your dream gig, but helps you stabilize for your next chapter.
And that’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.
Start Small, Stay Consistent, Be Kind
So how do you get back into the game?
Start small.
In fitness: one slow, controlled rep.
In freelancing: one updated demo. One email. One message to reconnect with a past client.
Momentum begins with a single action.
Choose consistency over intensity.
You don’t need one massive burst of motivation.
You need small, repeatable habits that stack up, like stretching after every workout instead of waiting until you’re injured.
Stay adaptable.
Maybe your old clients moved on. Maybe your niche evolved.
That’s okay. You’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from experience.
And finally, celebrate your return.
You showed up. That’s huge.
Whether it’s your first cold email in months, or your first creative project after a burnout.
That’s courage.
Acceptance and support don’t make you weaker.
They make your comeback sustainable.
Because you’ve done this before.
And you can do it again.
Over to you:
Have you ever stepped away from freelancing and had to find your rhythm again?
What helped you get back into the game?
Let’s share what real resilience looks like — slow, steady, and sustainable.
For the audio version of this blog with music, fitness and fun, listen to the Freelance Fitness podcast.
