Ability to Separate Work and Family Life

As a small business owner, it is tough to “leave work” because work

can take over life. The line between being at work and not being there is
extremely blurred in a 24/7 Internet world. Work is no longer really a
physical place, but a state of mind. This is especially true for an
increasingly number of small business owners that work out of their
home.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT
HAS AN ABILITY TO SEPARATE WORK AND FAMILY LIFE
1. Set clear boundaries between the office and home.
2. Avoid looking at their inbox after a certain time of day.
3. Turn off notifications on work devices in the evening.
4. Set aside one part of the day for meetings and calls.
5. Use a separate work phone or laptop

Here is how to draw the line and separate work from

personal life.
1. Set an Alarm
If you’re the type who gets lost in their work and just forgets to look at the clock, use this
solution. Simply set a “warning” alarm for when you want to leave work. You can set
multiple alarms — one for “wrap it up” and one for “pack up” — each with different
sounds.
In addition to setting an alarm on your phone or other device, there may be external
cues around your office you can use as alarms as well. For example, when the cleaning
crew shows up, you know it’s time to head out!

2. Have a Family Member Call You

Similar, yet more personal than an alarm, is a call from a family member or friend when
it’s time for you to head out. If one of your main motivations for leaving work is to spend
time with your significant other, friends, or children, this method is effective.
Thinking about seeing someone you care about at the end of the day isn’t always
enough to make you shut down the computer. Hearing your daughter’s voice, on the
other hand, may be enough motivation for you to want to get home to see her. You’ll
need to coordinate this step with your friends and family.

3. Schedule an Activity
Sign up for something that will force you to leave the work at a regular time each day.
These activities are also a great way to stay active. If you’ve been meaning to get into
shape, sign up for a gym membership. If simply having the membership isn’t enough,
plan to meet a friend there or sign up for specific group classes at a given start time.
Other options are to sign up your child for a soccer team and commit to being there for
the practices. You can also make a commitment to volunteer at the local food pantry or
take an art class.
4. Share Your Goal With Others
One of the best ways to reach a goal is to publicly declare it. Tell your family that your
target is to be done with work by dinnertime each night. Share on Facebook and Twitter
that you signed up for cycling class and your goal is to attend three times a week after
work.

You won’t want to disappoint your family or your followers, so you’ll work harder to achieve
those goals than if you kept them to yourself. Ask if anyone wants to join and recruit them to
help keep you accountable.

5. Start Small
Some small business owners just have too much to do to be able to leave work when
they want to. You’re not going to go from a 14 hour work day to an 8 hour work day
overnight. It’s going to be a gradual process. It will require you to delegate tasks to
employees or freelancers, empower them to solve problems, and learn to say no.
Ultimately, leaving work, both mentally and physically, comes down to you starting to
make one small change and then building on it.