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Have you ever been simultaneously overwhelmed with both work life and home life? I am sure most of us, at one point in our lives, have wished that there were more than 24 hours in a day. Sometimes, there just is not enough time to get everything done. As a single mother who works full-time, achieving a work-life balance has always been a struggle. However, throughout the years, I’ve found a few things that help me balance my professional life and personal life. Here they are:

1. Unplug: The first thing I do after work is unplug. Literally. I turn off my phone and disable email notifications for the day. I know not everyone has the luxury of being able to unplug completely, but if you have the opportunity, turn off your email notifications. Don’t worry, your messages will still be there in the morning!

2. Determine your priorities. It is very important that you prioritize what is important to you and create boundaries to ensure that you devote your time to those people or things. There are many things that can and will distract you from staying on task. Technology has become very distracting. Don’t waste time getting wrapped up with your social media page or searching the internet. Create a routine that helps you stick to your priorities. At work, politely excuse yourself from those conversations that can distract you from completing a project. At home, don’t push those house tasks to tomorrow just to watch something on TV. For many people tomorrow becomes next week.

3. Make time for yourself. This is my golden rule for achieving a work-life balance: always make time for yourself. Find a hobby or something you enjoy doing, whether it is alone or with a group of friends. Stress is a real thing. Some people believe that they are great at managing stress, but stress is not just mental it’s physically too. Exercise, hang out with family and friends, or catch a movie alone. But always make time for number one (that’s you!)