The lines between work and play can be blurred if you’re running a business you love.  I often loose track of time when I’m writing or designing.  But no matter how much you love it you need to get time away to recharge your batteries.  If you don’t take time out for yourself and your personal life, your health and relationships will suffer.  You’ll also find yourself exhausted and prone to making mistakes you wouldn’t otherwise make.

It can be challenging though to take time away from the office when the office is at home.  And it can be tough to slow down and relax.  Start small with a commitment to disconnect from your business for an hour or two each evening.  Then add one day off.  Just one.  If you’re concerned about staying in contact with customers or clients have a virtual assistant check email for you or setup an auto-response on your email account.  Step away from the computer, the blackberry, the iPhone, the sewing machine, those paints, the camera or whatever it is that you get paid to do.  And you may not count mopping your floors or cleaning out a closet as relaxation unless it’s really something that does relax you.  Be honest with yourself.

Here are some ideas of things you can do either to pamper yourself or reconnect with the people around you and recharge yourself:
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