Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week? We have all been there. Sometimes we get so caught up in work or life that shifting gears can be challenging.

Everyone has encountered the person at work who is so caught up something personal outside of the workplace that they can’t focus on what is right in front of them. Or the person in our family that can’t put down the laptop, or get off the phone because they are too busy working. This creates a challenge when it comes to using our time for what it is meant for.

So how do we separate these two things?

Give it 100%

You can love what you do and still not feel guilty when need to clock out and walk away. Giving too much of yourself to your job will cause other areas to suffer. Try to make it a goal that wherever you are or whatever you are doing, that you are 100% there. Giving your absolute best wherever you are will help you to shift from one area of life to the other without guilt of leaving a task behind for the next day.

Unplug and leave distractions elsewhere.

It’s no secret that technology has brought some pretty incredible advancements to our everyday lives. We all love having the world at our fingertips and small enough to fit in our pockets. Even with how amazing technology is, too much of one thing can be unhealthy. When it is time to be with your family, or just take a day off and relax, disconnect from your other world. This may need to be by turning off email notifications, or forwarding work calls to your work phone over the weekend, or whatever it may take to keep work distractions away from you after hours.

This is a tip that cannot be stressed enough to help you to create a healthy balance between work and life.

Don’t overfill your plate

“Yes” is a word that is too easy to say. This could be why we say it all too often. Although uttering the word “no” brings a pain to our stomachs and causes us to grit our teeth, sometimes it needs to be said. Overfilling your plate by giving yourself too heavy of a workload or setting unrealistic deadlines causes you to spread yourself too thin. This will lead to working after hours to get everything done, which will ultimately leave you burnt out.

It is always exciting to take on new responsibilities at work, to learn new things and grow in your career. However, when it comes to executing these responsibilities, make sure you can handle what you are taking on before you commit to it.

Leave it all at the door

One of the best tips of balancing work and life would be to leave it at the door. What does that even mean? Well, every night when you come home, you may be stressed or tired or overwhelmed from the workday,leave it all the front door. When you are about to turn that key and walk into your home where your family waits; take ten seconds to relieve yourself of a taxing day. Once you turn that doorknob, give your family your best you.

Written by: Charity Estes