At first I just recorded what I was doing without changing anything. This new awareness let me see that I was working 10 hour days when the job expectation and pay was for 8. I stopped tracking meticulously and kept a mental balance sheet so I didn’t feel cheated.

When the whole team was told there would be no raises and the cost of health care tripled, I decided to track it again to limit my work week to 40 hours. If I went over, it was my choice. I set up criteria that was acceptable to go over, like “I’m in the flow” or “I need to prep for tomorrow’s AM meeting.” I tracked this “OT” off books and stopped early on Fridays based on how many extra hours I worked throughout the week. This helped a lot with anxiety over unpaid OT, and helped me feel balanced.

Then, when that company lost the contract and I was hired by the company that won it, I was suddenly paid by the hour for the first time in 23 years. Now I have to clock in and clock out in a system that tracks hours tied to my paycheck. That habit of keeping track helped me transition to the new company and make sure I get paid for the hours I work.

Instead, sit down with yourself and have a conversation about why you’re having trouble leaving work during work hours. Is it planning and prioritization? Perhaps getting things done would help. Overassigned? Time for a crucial conversation with the boss. Distractions? Utilize your technical tools to control distraction, and even to help you transition between work time and home time. While you can’t control work, you can control your response to it.