Without setting boundaries with work, your personal life will never get the nurturing that it needs. Here are 4 things to say no to attain the elusive goal of work-life balance.

Here are four temptations to resist for a better balance between work and life:

1. Checking Work Emails the Moment You Wake Up

Before you can even take 2 minutes to orient yourself after sleep you are already pressing send to reply to your first email. We’ve all been there. This is problematic because you begin your day dialed into everyone else’s agenda without having any time to get clear on your own. Give yourself the time and space to check in with yourself and your priorities before you start reacting to other people’s desires and requests. Setting this email boundary sets the tone for a day filled with thoughtful responses rather than reactions.

2. Spending Late Nights at The Office

Everyone is packing up and discussing their plans for the rest of the night once they leave, but you tell your colleagues that you are staying back in the office to finish up some work. The only problem is that this is your same script every night. While you may believe that working late nights all of the time brands you as a dedicated worker, it also sets you up for a life that has no chance of ever becoming balanced. Sometimes things are too hectic at the job to go home at 5 pm sharp every day, but at least set aside two workdays per week where you go home on time.

[RELATED: The Truth Behind Work-Life Balance]

3. Having Extended Conversations about Work with Friends and Family

A conversation with you should not feel like an industry seminar. Work is a major part of your life so it is only natural for it to come up in conversations, but keep it brief. Don’t use your loved ones as another outlet for your workaholic stream of consciousness. No one cares about your job as much as you do, so open up the conversation to more interesting and well-rounded dialogue.

4. Trying to be Superwoman in All Areas of Your Life

You constantly strive to be outstanding at work and convince yourself that once you get home you will still have the stamina to be an awe-inspiring chef, parent of the year and a housekeeper that could give Martha Stewart a run for her money. The problem with this is that when you demand so much of yourself in countless areas, you can eventually end up burned out with nothing left to give but mediocrity. Sometimes people’s desire for perfection in all areas of their lives blinds them to the fact that getting help could achieve the same excellent results that they want while sparing them burnout. If you can’t give excellence to a task without pushing yourself to the edge of your sanity, delegate it.

Which of these 4 temptations are you giving up?