In a society where we are all superglued to cell phones, computers, tablets, etc., I find it hard to pull away sometimes. Struggling with trying to be as professional and responsive at all times, with giving myself a little personal time away from work emails, I try to give myself a timeframe. Any work email after 6pm will most often get pushed to the next day. Obviously there are exceptions when I’m in a time crunch or there are special circumstances, however for the most part, I expect my clients to give me the same respect I give them, and honor the fact that we all have personal lives.
One of my most important goals has always been to have a solid work/life balance, and for me, that means having the nights to myself to cook, exercise, and spend time with loved ones. This balance looks different for each and every one of us, but I strongly suggest you figure out what your ideal balance is, and strive for it.
Take a hard look at your life and decide what you want, then stick to it. More often than not, people realize that you can’t always be working, so they’ll understand if an email gets answered the following morning. I will sometimes send an email for my own sake, knowing that I will forget about it if I don’t send it right away, but also fully aware that it may not be answered until the following business day. I like to think that a lot of people do this, and well, if they don’t, they probably need to figure out a better way to balance their career and personal life.
The point is, it’s okay to take time for yourself. We all need it to be the very best at our jobs and put 100% into our career. Making a plan of action always helps to execute something smoothly, and this is no exception. It might be hard, but giving yourself a hard time to stop looking at work emails will help you out in the long run.