Don’t panic: Every freelancer experiences gaps in work from time to time. Here’s what to do when it happens to you.
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It’s inevitable that you’ll experience a slow period as a freelancer. No matter how long you’ve been at it, you’ll be faced with lulls from time to time where opportunities are coming in less frequently or not at all. Sometimes it’s not about you: Certain types of projects are impacted by seasonality, budget cycles, and economic conditions.
But other times, you could be the reason the engagements are starting to taper off, whether you’ve not staying up to date in your field or the competition is outpacing you.
To get out of these slumps and prevent them from happening often, be intentional about what you’re doing during these slow stretches.
I’ve experienced dips in work at numerous points throughout the 12 years I’ve been freelancing. When it would happen initially, I’d feel frustrated, embarrassed, nervous, and disengaged when a slow period started to happen beyond a week into a month. Through a mix of strategic maneuvering from me and new opportunities arising from long-term investments in marketing myself and building relationships, these periods didn’t last long.
It’s more than okay to experience all the feelings during these freelance slumps, but try not to spend too much time being distraught and instead take action based on what’s in your control. As Barbara Corcoran famously said, “The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.”
When things begin to slow down, acknowledge what you’re feeling but recognize it’s an opportunity to reset and take action.
To move past these moments, I usually focus on making continuous progress on meaningful tasks for my business since I have more time to do so—and it feels good. I’m not alone in this: Professionals have reported more positive emotions on workdays where they made progress on meaningful work, and most often it’s small wins, according to a survey of 238 professionals by HBR authors Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer.
For me, this might include small tasks like updating my website, reconnecting with a colleague, writing an article, taking a course, or whatever feels genuinely productive. You’re not just aiming to be busy but looking for work that helps generate momentum, improves upon your skill sets, attracts more projects, or simply provides creative fulfillment.
I’ve found that this forward momentum helps me move past that stuck feeling and keeps me motivated to forge ahead. I recommend identifying up to five tasks you’ll work on everyday and aim for small ones that are possible to achieve in as little as a few hours or a couple of days. The hope is that the continued progress becomes ingrained as a lasting habit.
In the midst of a dip, it might be time to reassess how you’re reaching new customers and whether there’s an opportunity to increase your visibility in a sustainable way. This could entail building a presence on another destination to reach your ideal like creating a Substack, being a guest on industry podcasts, or speaking at conferences.
Similarly, you might expand your platform as a freelancer to reach a different, complementary customer base with a service you may not have offered previously. “During slow periods in my business, I try my best to treat it as a strategic opportunity to reflect and iterate,” says, Gigi Robinson, a New York City-based creator, speaker, and author. “Instead of spiraling or stressing about the lull, I dive into my analytics—what’s working, what’s underperforming, and how my audience is responding across platforms. I revisit my goals, experiment with new formats, and map out long-term ideas that don’t rely on external brand campaigns or speaking invites.”
For example, in 2023, she experienced a slowdown in inbound brand deals and speaking gigs. “Rather than panic, I leaned into building something bigger—and that’s when I conceptualized Host of Influence, my new educational platform for creators, whether you’re a newbie or a creator veteran,” says Robinson. “It’s proof that sometimes the most impactful ideas are born when things get quiet. You just have to give yourself the space to listen and come up with a strategic game plan.”
Chart a similar path for yourself by assessing where there’s opportunity to market your services differently and provide new offerings that meet customer demands.
You’re not the only professional to experience a period of stagnation. One of the most impactful things you can do at this point is reach out for help. That’s why it’s important that you use this time to connect with other freelancers to share how you’re handling it and hear how they’ve dealt with similar circumstances. Both parties can learn from each other about how to overcome these challenges, brainstorm new opportunities, and provide a fresh perspective on their career trajectory. You can find other professionals on freelancer marketplaces like MarketerHire and Behance, focused networking groups like ones for independent contractors in HR or engineering, and on Reddit, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
What’s worked for me is building relationships with colleagues that are ahead of me in their career or I’d like to emulate aspects of what they’ve accomplished professionally. Through their support, I’ve been able to better anticipate some of the common challenges as a freelancer and get inspiration from how they’ve navigated their career over the years. The same can be said for fostering connections with new freelancers in their early days of self-employment as I have a lot of advice and support to offer them. Plus, these peers often give me exposure to a new viewpoint on the world of self-employment, helping me stay modern, adaptable, and motivated.
The loss of income is the scariest when you’re in a work slump, and it could have a substantial impact on your day-to-day. One upside of not earning the income you expected is that it can be extremely motivating and drive you to put yourself out there in ways you hadn’t anticipated.
“During a slow period, I reach out to past clients, prospects, collaborators, and peers with one question: “What’s keeping you up at night right now?” Their answers help me spot patterns and spark ideas I can quickly test—whether it’s a new workshop, course, or consulting offer,” says, Hussain Bandukwala, a PMO and project management consultant, trainer, coach, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor. “I also experiment with different outreach strategies, from lead magnets to paid ads,” adds Bandukwala. “It’s not filler work—it’s targeted R&D to evolve and optimize the business.”
Don’t become overly reliant on the right people and clients finding you, as attention you’re generating for yourself professionally will ebb and flow due to a variety of factors. As an alternative, pitch yourself directly to existing clients who you already have a rapport with and to new organizations and individuals as a chance to introduce yourself. Sometimes, the right nudge can make all the difference—you never know who could benefit from your contributions, as long as your outreach is aligned to their needs.
