This post was written by P&P Contributor, Tara Sampson.

I have been lucky enough to quit my traditional “day job” and start my own business. About this time last year I was working at a bank, frustrated because they would only give me part-time hours, but wanted me to have full-time availability, making it impossible to have a second job which would actually allow me to pay my bills. I made the leap to full-time business ownership and haven’t looked back!

In my time working from home, I have had to establish a routine, figure out bookkeeping (still working on that one), and most importantly, I have had to find a way to keep my home and work lives separate – which is much harder when your home IS your work and vice versa.

Here’s a ‘lil story for you. Recently, it was a Friday night around 7pm and I was in my home office typing away, thinking of the million things I felt I still should get done that very evening. My husband came in and asked me to go out to dinner with him, to which I replied, “Babe, I would love to, but I’m still working.” He pointed out that my business wouldn’t suffer one little bit if I stopped working for the night and enjoyed my Friday with my husband. That’s when the inspiration for this post hit me. I spent the night at dinner thinking about work instead of laughing and hanging out with my guy. I was finding it nearly impossible to turn my “work brain” off and just exist. So here are a few things I have since implemented into my life to help balance my work and home lives and allow them to coexist rather than work consume me.

1. Establish a set “work schedule.”

By this, I mean tell yourself, “I will work Monday-Friday from 10am-6pm.” AND STICK TO IT. Now I teach voice lessons, so I build my day-to-day schedule around my students…some days I teach until 8pm, but I make sure that once the student leaves and I send out their lesson notes, that is it for the night.

2. Allow yourself one day per week that you do absolutely NOTHING work related.

Do literally anything else, but make sure if you think of something you need to do for work, just write it down and continue enjoying your day off.

3. Make a to-do list.

Every day. I got this one from Poised and Professional (thanks Alyssa!); make your to-do list for the next day every evening, so you can begin your next work day proactively.

4. Prioritize.

Know what things MUST get done each day and which things can wait if they need to. This will allow you to have a more productive, more organized day and help you feel accomplished when evening rolls around, instead of feeling like you should work through the night to get every little thing done.

5. Schedule in time for self-care, family time, and friend time.

Treat each of these as equally, if not MORE important than your work schedule. Having a scheduling time for these people (ESPECIALLY YOURSELF) will give you guilt-free fun/relaxation, plus keep you mentally and emotionally healthy. Mental health helps you function better and more efficiently in your work-life, so make it a priority.

Tara is a professional actor and voice teacher in San Diego, California. She currently teaches voice to students of all ages out of her studios in Murrieta and La Jolla. You can learn more about Tara and her coaching packages (including scheduling your first free lesson) on her website, TaraSampsonVoice.com.