How to ease off without your biz going up in flames
Every time I share the stories of the copywriters I work with creating slower summers, I can guarantee someone will say: “That’s the dream, isn’t it?” with a soft sigh and a slightly glazed look.
And you know what? It is.
But it doesn’t have to stay a dream, gathering dust with the vision board you abandoned behind your desk and that fantasy of opening a tiny bookshop in a sleepy village somewhere.
A slow summer is absolutely possible. It just takes a little planning and intentional action.
I’m using “summer” as the example here, but there are so many times when you want — or need — to hit the brakes a little:
- When you want to actually take a holiday and, you know, enjoy it.
- When your kids are home and your house is suddenly equal parts snack bar, craft studio, and questionable science lab.
- When the school year starts or ends and your calendar looks like a game of Tetris you’re losing badly.
- When you or someone you love needs extra care, time, or support.
When life gets lifey, your business should bend, not break.
I mean, isn’t that the whole point of working for yourself? To not have to ask permission to take time when you need it? Even if that need is a mid-week matinee?
Slowing down doesn’t mean losing your ambition or your income. It just means planning and making choices that future-you will high-five you for.
If you’re reading this mid-summer and thinking, “Well, that ship has sailed”, don’t worry. We’ll talk “mid-chaos” survival in a minute.
But if you have any lead time, here’s how to set up a summer that feels spacious without leaving your bank account looking sad:
Planning for a slow summer
As a copywriter, you’re usually trading hours for dollars and if you’re working less, you’ll be earning a bit less too.
Getting all up in your numbers and cash flow forecasting can give you the runway to glide into a quieter season without switching to an all-ramen diet.
Front-load your year: If you know you want to slow down, plan for busier months before and after. Market, pitch, and book projects that create a financial cushion so you can take your foot off the gas later. (Future you will want to kiss you on the mouth.)
Curate the projects you accept: Choose work that earns more in less time — VIP days, micro-offers, or just sticking to retainers that keep the cash flowing. Be intentional about how much of you each project will require. And practise saying no to big, meaty projects that take over your life.
Create a landing pad: Nothing kills the vibe of an afternoon “holiday margarita” like worrying about an empty project calendar so well before your slowdown starts, book clients for your return. This means intentional marketing rather than just waiting for something to show up.
During the slowdown
You might not be able to switch off completely, unless life absolutely forces you to. But you can protect your energy and keep the lights on.
So what do you focus on when your work time is limited?
Prioritise what pays: Work that generates revenue gets the front seat. Spoiler: It’s probably not the sixth carousel you were about to post on Instagram.
Conversations over content: Content is great, but conversations bring clients. Scale back the content treadmill. Spend that time following up, checking in, and nurturing leads.
Time-block your energy: Set timers for things like email and lead gen before they expand to fill your whole day (and brain).
Everything else? Delegate, defer, or delete! This is when you have to get serious about your intention. Do you really want to be faffing around with whatever admin task you think “needs” to be done, or would you prefer to be sitting out back with a book.
TL:DR Prioritising what absolutely needs to be done and let go of the rest. This can take some practise but you will begin to see how much time you spend on tasks that don’t actually move the needle in your business.
How to slow down mid-chaos
Maybe you’re already in the middle of the whirlwind. That doesn’t mean it’s game over. It just means making better choices as you go.
The kind of decisions that show up in small moments. When you have the choice, CHOOSE LIFE.
“Should I check my inbox?” becomes “Could I read a chapter of my book?”
“Do I need to jump into Slack right now?” becomes “Can it wait until I finish my tea?”
These tiny choices are what help you feel the shift. They’re how you achieve that whole work-life balance people keep banging on about. They’re how you go from “I wish I had time to read more books” to “I need to get some more books”.
A slow summer isn’t about vanishing into witness protection. It’s about lowering the hum of stress and reclaiming little bits of joy in your day.
But here’s the thing… no one can make that happen for you.
Yeah sorry. It’s up to you to slow it down.
This Is the Point
This slower, saner way of working? It’s not just for “the lucky ones.”
Like Jo in my mastermind, who now takes every August off — no stress, no scramble. What used to feel like a fantasy? It’s just… life.
If you’re dreaming of a business that lets you ease off when you need to — start building it.
You’re allowed.
(And if you need a permission slip? I’ve got a whole pad.)
