Do you remember what it was like BEFORE we all had cell phones and laptop computers? Maybe you’re not old enough, so let me paint the picture for you.

• When you left the office, you were done for the day and could spend your evenings enjoying life.
• It was difficult for people to contact you with a “work emergency” after hours, especially if your landline was not listed in the phone book.
• If they did call you and you didn’t answer, they would assume you were not home, and they would figure it out themselves. 
• You couldn’t bring any computer-based work home because your computer was not portable. And most companies didn’t allow you to take any files home.
• The only way to work extra hours was to be in the office. 

In today’s world, many of us struggle with work-life balance, partly due to our technology. 

How can we disconnect from work when we’re always connected?

We are often our worst enemies because we’re addicted to being “needed” and create unrealistic requirements for ourselves.

I refer to these as “self-inflictions.”

Here are a few examples:

• Feeling like you need to monitor and respond to emails outside of regular work hours, even though nobody has required you to do so.
  
• Working long hours and sacrificing personal commitments to “prove your worth” or “keep up appearances.”
  
• Always saying “yes,” instead of saying “no,” or “not right now,” or referring the requestor to another resource.

What self-inflictions have you created that are contributing to your stress and overwhelm?

Let me know in the comments what self-inflictions you’ve identified, and next week I’ll share some ideas on overcoming those challenges.

Wishing you the best!