As I have shared in this blog before, I love my work. It is a pleasure to do what I do for a company I respect with incredible colleagues who make each day fun and worthwhile. I am fortunate, indeed, to be in this situation with important responsibilities for a Fortune 100 company’s internal and external social media. I do not take it for granted. There are days when I walk away from work toward my car and just shake my head in disbelief that I have this opportunity.
That is why days like last Friday and today are somewhat difficult for me. Last Friday I scheduled a day off to stay home and do other things. I started working, though, early in the morning and spent all morning and afternoon doing work that needed to be done, so it turned out to be a full day of work – just one done from home instead of the office.
Today I tried again and was far more successful at not allowing myself much time to work. Yes, I sneaked a quick peak here and there at email and our internal social network and work-related Twitter, but for little more than an hour’s worth for the day, so I consider that a success. I slept late, caught up on personal emails, watched the presidential news conference, spent nearly an hour trying to get a screen protector on my new smartphone (why don’t they come with protectors on them?), and spent time with my dog. I ate a decent lunch and will take my dog for a nice walk shortly.
We all know that we need time away from work. Given my love for what I do, however, it doesn’t seem much like work to me. It’s fun. It’s the kind of thing where I can plop in my recliner with my feet up and TV on and do until the wee hours of the morning. Depending on your satisfaction with your work, your experience may be very different than mine.
I am grateful for days like today where I have the option to do other things. Still, for me at least, leap year lesson #316 is Not working is hard.
Next Practices 
I agree with the sentiment that, “Not working is hard.” I have the same problem in that I do work from home every day and while that’s great for overhead costs, it’s hard to stop working through the evenings or on the weekends. When my environment triggers work and I can easily access my email and files, it’s very tempting to work 24/7. I have recognized this and made efforts to establish a normal work schedule which seems to be working out well.
I hear the same from my work-at-home friends, Stephanie. I’m glad you’ve found a way to help keep a good balance. That’s important.