DETACH YOURSELF FROM WORK

It is very easy to be consumed by work and consequently become a crashing bore. But for those of us who want to maintain a reasonable balance between our life and our work, here are my thoughts:

1. Be honest about how much time you spend at work and why. Is it really necessary to work long, extra hours to accomplish your tasks and objectives, or are you regularly staying late for other reasons? To impress your boss and your colleagues, or simply because you are not using your time well during the day?

2. Manage your energy, not your time. Check your energy levels throughout the day and week. Leave work early one evening a week- say Wednesday or Thursday -so that you can maintain momentum. What is your energy right now, and how can you maintain and boost it?

3. Identify and banish time stealers. These can be in the form of demanding people, routine or unnecessary meetings or tasks, or even your own bad habits. Seek out the critical time stealers, develop a plan to deal with them, and consign them to the past. This should help you feel more in charge of your agenda. What are your time stealers?

4. Find a buddy or a mentor at work. Rather than burdening your family or friends with work-related issues, find a colleague for a regular downloading session. One friend of mine meets a colleague weekly, and they are each allowed half an hour to rant about issues and seek advice. It is a great pressure-release valve for them. Who could be your buddy or partner at work?

5. Treat time outside work as sacrosanct, and refresh yourself. Protect your time outside work as much as you can. You need to switch off from work for your own health and sanity and that of your friends and family. Find a way to refresh and replenish yourself after a week's work. What do you do to support yourself each week? The gym, long walks, visits with friends, a favorite art gallery or restaurant? What is weekly source of replenishment?

6. Remind yourself that you are much more than your job. However much you love your job, it is a mistake to define yourself too closely with your work. Take time to reflect on what you want to achieve in life and think about your definition of personal success. This should help you when work gets difficult and the pressure becomes unbearable.

Finally, living your life well in small ways is a great way to detach yourself from work. A French colleague once explained to me l'art de vivre (the art of living). Enjoying small things on a daily basis - such as a good meal, a favorite cafe, lovely flowers, using a nice pen, a brisk walk home, reading a book to your child, dinner with your spouse or family, good time out with great friends, an hour to yourself with a glass of fine chilled wine - will help you remain relaxed at home and ready for the challenges of work.