I’ve recently been having those weeks when everything seems to be in harmony. A day of intense work followed by a night of peaceful sleep. A week of productivity and a weekend of absolutely nothing but fun. A tough assignment rewarded with a night out.

It’s the first time I’ve achieved anything that can remotely be categorized as “work-life balance,” and it’s made me happier, more energetic, and increasingly productive in my work.

Here’s what’s worked for me.

1. The week is for working, weekends are for play.
It helps that my plans for the weekend are now made days in advance, so that even if want to back out at the last minute to research another interesting statistic, I can’t. It has to wait till Monday. Even if editors are calling, clients are going bonkers, it’s something that’s non-negotiable. I simply don’t work weekends any more.

2. When at play, detach.
Easier said than done, but every time I’ve taken an off day, I’ve made it a point to forget about work, my financial worries, or whatever else may have been bothering me throughout the week. It’s tempting to work seven days a week, especially if you could use the money, but it’s equally important to recharge. When I come back to work after two days of rest, I’m ready and raring to go and looking forward to the work week ahead.

3. Say no, and say it often
This has been the hardest option for me. It’s always been hard for me to refuse work, and for some reason, the highest paying work will always arrive on Friday evening with a deadline of Monday morning. So far, I’ve taken this work, sometimes happily. But I’ve often ended up over-scheduling myself and feeling frustrated at the end of it.