All Work and No Play? June 11, 2012My BusinessOff

Life/Work balance is a distant reality for most women. 

“My work is a way of life – it all intermingles into one,” says Donna Middleton, owner of The Shirt Company.

The tireless entrepreneur admits to regularly working 18-hour days (with no end in sight). Middleton even moved into her studio so she can work into the night, then walk across the hall and crash.

So how do you separate your worlds?

Thought leaders recommend planning weekly dates with loved ones so you’re not always MIA. Try penciling in a few hours on the same night each week for a game or movie night.

Mayo Clinic suggests leaving work at work. Be 100 percent present at work and at home (like putting down the BlackBerry – or your kid will remind you of it later). But many entrepreneurs know it’s easier said than done.

“We don’t even attempt to do that because it’s not something we could do,” says Lori Greiner, an inventor who runs her business with her husband. “When you own your own company, it’s almost 24/7.”

They make it work by taking personal time to go to dinner or see sights during business trips. Movie or TV show marathons on weekends make time off more enjoyable, she says.

If you must bring your work home, other luminaries advise limiting where it’s done. Having work-free zones, like the dinner table or the bedroom, will make it easier to relax, and separate yourself from tasks when you’re done for the day.

Bonus PINK Link: Think frequent travelers can’t achieve balance? Think again.

What do you think? and let us know.

By Christina Thompson

“The point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.”
Stella Redding

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