(ThyBlackMan.com) Technology has changed how we work in more ways than we notice at times. Besides smartphones that make us accessible 24-7, iPads and tablets that make it even easier to do work on the fly, and Wi-Fi so you can work while you’re “up in the air,” technology has meant that even secretaries and manufacturing workers are competing with people halfway across the globe for jobs. Increased competition and higher expectations means that many workers work nonstop, to the detriment of their health and personal life. Increased numbers of workers are working on weekends, early morning (one woman complained of a boss that expects her to answer messages while she’s on the train at 6am) and during vacation with family. How can you really go about reclaiming your career so that you can have some semblance of a life outside of work?
1. Work to live, don’t live to work.
Work, especially work you enjoy, is good for you. Whether we work at home or outside the home, we all need to engage in something that gives us a sense 
of meaning and productivity. We also need the means to live. Where things cross the line is when work becomes the dominant driver in life – so that even during your personal time, work becomes the controlling thought and stressor. Shift your perspective so that your personal life becomes more of a priority.
2. Tame your technology habits.
Create some technology-free zones in your day, and especially your weekend, just to give your mind a rest and also to create some focused time in your relationships. You might decide no texting while eating, for example. No cell phones during family time. No laptops in bed.
3. “Time” your to-do list
For each item on the list, identify how much time you need. Then add up the total amount of time your to-do list will take. If it’s more time than you have in the day, prioritize and roll some items over to the next day, delegate them, or drop them altogether.
4. Schedule your personal life, then work around it
Make appointments, have a set time for dinner, workouts, and family time. Make those activities off-limits for work. It may take practice, but you can do it!
5. Remember, there will always be more work to do
Some struggle to stop working because there is always something in the inbox, and therefore always something to do. Get comfortable leaving some things undone. You’ll get to them when you return to work. When you realize you’ll never empty the inbox, you realize you need to accept that as a new reality and simply step away from the computer. It’ll be there tomorrow.
