At The BWC, you know that we want to help you with the circles of business, life and leadership. Our goal is to help you "blend" all three together because we bring our whole selves to everything we do. Well, a recent article from Harvard - Research from Harvard Business Review: Keeping Work and Life Separate is More Trouble Than It's Worth - seems to support that idea that you shouldn't "separate" work and life.
The study looked at "cognitive transitions" and the impact of trying to manage them. Cognitive transitions are when you are in one role but experience thoughts and feelings related to a different role. So that time you suddenly thought of the need to buy treats for your child's class during a meeting - that would be cognitive transition.
Apparently the more separate the roles in your life - the bigger the transition. The bigger the transition = the more draining on your cognitive resources. Cognitive resources = thinking power. The research also suggests that this is what causes the stress to set in.
"Instead of leaving work at the office and home at the door, integrating both might be a better strategy for enhancements in well-being and performance....For individual, the study not only gives permission to let your mind wander at work (or at home), but it offers us a bit of forgiveness: letting your personal life intrude on your work might make you more productive in the long-run."
Blend away!