9) What’s the secret to achieving a healthy balance between my career and my personal life?

“The need to find a balance between work life and personal life is not restricted to women, of course, and has become one of the great struggles among today’s workers,” says Mireille Guiliano (above), wife of NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., in her bestseller, Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire. “Around the world today, the time people spend at work and at the office continues to creep back to yesteryear, when 10 hours a day, six days a week were accepted in agriculture and industry.”

Achieving this goal requires you to know when to “switch off.” As the Internet, smartphones, and other technologies keep us tethered to our work 24/7, coupled with a global economy that does not respect time zones and holidays, Mrs. Guiliano says it is vital that families and friends schedule days together.

“You need to spend time, not money: plan a long walk together, establish a go-to-a-movie night, take a fixed night out each month without the kids,” she says.

And during those days when you and a partner cannot be together in person, those very same devices that make us feel always connected to the office also make it easier for people to interact and stay connected.

Keeping stress in check is another crucial part of healthy work and personal life. Stress often plays a large role in how our bodies feel, affecting judgment, performance, and immunity.

“Some of us welcome the stress that drives us and energizes us to meet deadlines or complete special projects,” says Mrs. Guiliano. “But too often, like students at the end of an exam period, we get sick afterward. Our defenses are down.”

One way to alleviate stress is to find others—people in a work support group or outside the office—to talk to about factors that are stressing you. Also take time to reevaluate your job to see if it is truly fulfilling you. Is there a future for you at the company? Are you proud of your work? Do you respect your boss and other senior-level managers? If not, Mrs. Guiliano says, “One of your anchors is wobbly.”

Many people don’t need to take this form of self-test to realize if they enjoy their work. “It is a reminder, though, not to blame the job for all your stress and imbalance,” adds Mrs. Guiliano. “It is an invitation to revisit your priorities, time management, and other anchors.”

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