One of the most common enquiries I get for my Life Coaching services is about how can you improve your work-life balance.

In this first of the Work-Life Balance series, I'm going to be talking about switching off from work which is a very common challenge for people.

As always, please feel free to make comments or suggest links to articles and resources related to this hub.

Thanks,

Dan O'Neil

One of the most important ways of creating work-life balance and reducing stress in your life is to be able to switch off from your work. In my experience this is most common when people work from home, however it also applies to people who go out to work. I'll start with some general strategies and then we'll look at the challenges relating specifically to working from home.

Setting Boundaries

So, the first question to ask yourself is "How accessible am I?" Can you be contacted late at night or early in the morning when you aren't normally at work or even being paid to take the calls? If so, then you will need to consider your boundaries.

Having strict boundaries between your work time and your personal time can really help switch off from work and reduce the stress that this extra thinking is causing. In some cases, there needs to be some conversation between yourself and your team or bosses to establish an acceptable compromise. Some people can simply let go of their need to look after every little detail at work and trust that it will happen in spite of their absence. For others, simply stopping being accessible 24-7 is the answer and gradually people stop contacting them out of hours.

It's important to consider your position, level of responsibility and your situation before making changes like these - seek professional help in considering your options.

Reducing and Managing Your Workload

How good are you at saying "No"? Do you take on more work than you can possibly do, in order to please your boss, company or other people? If so, then this is likely to contribute to an inability to switch off from your work. With more to do than they can possibly manage, most people take their work home with them.

Be clear on your responsibilities at work - if someone asks you to do something that is outside of your normal duties, then consider first if you have time to do that. In many cases it is easier to say, "I'm sorry, I'd love to help, but I have to get _____ done first. If I have time I'll stop by later and help out."

What many people find is that if they consistently say yes, then they become the first person who is asked to help out and soon everyone asks them. It's better in the long run to be honest and explain upfront that you don't have time, than to disappoint when you can't deliver on time for them.

Of course, you can still say yes when you have time or really want to help out.

Focus on Personal Goals

One of the simplest tools to use to help switch off from work is to have a different focus. Many of the people I speak with and help have hobbies and personal goals which they simply don't feel they have time to do. When you break it down, the fact they are not doing their hobby is often to do with all the thoughts about work that they bring home with them. Even when they are not actually working whilst at home, there are lots of things on their mind. It's incredibly hard to be motivated to do anything else during these times.

Some of the worst things to do in this situation are often the things that most people do - crashing in front of the TV is probably about the most common. Ok, so there are some programmes that will really engage you and will help you switch off from your thoughts about work, but if you are simply watching "whatever's on" then this is really not going to help.

In order to make changes to your thought habits, you have to first change your actions - this can be hard work! In this case, the best thing to do is to begin to do all the activities that you enjoy doing in your free time - maybe cooking, running, walking, golf, spending time with the children or a partner, etc. The first phase is tricky because you will find that you still have work on your mind and are distracted from what you are doing. Keep in mind that you are there to enjoy this activity and do what you can to remain focused on it.

Over time, as you keep yourself busy in your personal life and practice being focused on and enjoying your activities, you will find that you automatically switch off from work and eventually the thoughts and worries that used to pop into your head, will no longer come.

Email...

I meet so many people who do their work emails at home, indeed with Blackberry and PDAs it's so much easier to do now. I came across this very interesting video about email and the fact that if you receive interruptions then it can take 8 to 10 minutes to get back to your concentration level.

If possible - keep your work email at work and leave it alone when you are at home! If you catch yourself saying "I'll just check my email..."

DO SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD!

Boundaries

Boundaries when you work from home are all the more important. First and foremost, have an area that is exclusive for work - preferably some kind of office room. If that's not possible in your home, then use an area of a room that you do not use very often and ensure that you are able to enclose your work equipment, files and information (e.g. in a cupboard, filing cabinet, computer unit etc).

Have a timetable and stick to it like glue - not only do you have the temptation to do work outside your working time, you are also available for personal things to encroach on work time meaning you have to catch up later.

Ok, sometimes there will be an important call or something you have to do, but at all other times, make sure you can switch off the phones (and have an answerphone) and the PC is off to help avoid emails etc.

GET OUT!

Working from home has special challenges - you can feel lonely and isolated, constantly available and in some cases, because you live where you work, you feel on duty 24 hours a day.

There is only one answer to this - get yourself out of the house. Make it part of your personal goals or focus to do enjoyable activities out of the house - every day.

Switching off from work is vital to remain physically and mentally healthy. If you are worrying about work, or find it difficult to switch off from work, then sooner or later something will give. There are some very lucky people for whom work is play and vice versa and their limitless energy comes from this attitude, but when your home and personal life is affected then a balance must be sought.

If you find these things difficult then seek help - I can certainly recommend Life Coaching and you can find a link to my site at the top of this article. There are a great many other therapies that can help too - a quick google search might yield good results especially if you include your local area.

I know this may seem like common sense, but if you are making any serious changes to your work-life balance then don't do it alone - someone elses guidance or unbiased opinion is vital to help you make sense of your situation.

Thanks for reading - if you have any comments or suggestions please make them below.