Have a Life Outside of Work
Highly Effective Work Habits: Have a Life Outside of Work
People are far too overworked these days. This leads to increased stress, lower energy levels, and increased tempers. At some point, you’ve got to step back and realize that work is not everything. You have got to strike a good balance between work and your personal/family life. If you work for an employer that demands 60+ hour weeks consistently then you might want to look for a new job, especially if you have a family. No one can keep that pace up for long.
If your position is in a support/service role to that of the rest of the business, they are usually going to ask for things and want it as soon as possible. My particular role falls here. To balance things out, I can’t always do something immediately when the client asks. In these cases, I’ll give them an estimate when it might be completed. You can’t make everyone happy. If you are under this disillusion, you will be working quite a few hours every week and not spending as much time with your family that you should.
Having a life outside of work gives you that break you need to recharge your batteries. After all, work is just a means to an end. We don’t live to work, we work to live. Go for a drive, take a vacation, smack a ball around the racquetball court, take up a hobby, spend time with your kids – do anything that isn’t directly or indirectly related to work. Try your best not to take your work home with you. Sometimes this is required, but keep it to a minimum. Beyond just the physical load you might take home, you can take the emotion along with it. The worst thing you can do is get irritated at work, bring that stress home with you, and take it out on your family.
Having a life can also help you in the workplace. You might be able to leverage certain skills you use on a regular basis outside of work such as leadership, multitasking, competitiveness, or networking. So, it is a win-win 
