I'm a big advocate for finding a balance between work and personal life. I think all too often the two run into one another and the line doesn't just blur, it disappears.

At the end of the day what it boils down to is finding the right balance that works. While we are all on our own journey in this life with different goals and priorities, I think it's helpful to share things that have worked with others as our insights might somehow help the next person.

After considering this for some time and putting into practice ways to strike a balance between the two, here are some things I have found successful:

• Practice mindfulness at work - While not always easy, I've found that being mindful and setting an intention for the day has been helpful
• Incorporate some sort of exercise and prioritise it!
• Listen to your body. This may sound cheesy, but our bodies often give us queues such as hunger, fatigue etc. that we all too often overlook. We are often told that when we are tired we are more likely to make mistakes. While most of us will stay strong and persevere, through experience I'm (slowly) learning that it's more important to listen to your body. Take that break when you're feeling overwhelmed or pack it up for the day if you're feeling you've got nothing left in the tank
• It's ok to say no
• Schedule in your calendar breaks. I've found this particularly important since starting my coding journey as I often get lost in the coding flow
• Last but by no means least, plan your day! I find setting a number of achievable goals for each day is often really helpful.

While it may take time to find your groove, persistence is key in finding what works. My final thought is on this is, if you're really having trouble with finding that balance then talking about it with a friend, colleague or your boss is sometimes just as important as finding a solution.