Volume 40 Number 5 | October 2026
Summary

In this reflective article, Ali Murphy challenges the idea that work-life balance is easy to achieve, especially in demanding laboratory careers. She argues that stress naturally crosses personal and professional boundaries and recommends setting firm electronic boundaries, such as limiting work emails at home and personal device use at work, to create healthier balance.

Ali Murphy, MHSA, MLS(ASCP)CM, caPM, Volunteer Contributor

Ali (Nussbaum) Murphy“Have balance,” they say. “Don’t take your work home,” they say. “Enjoy work time at work and home time at home,” they say. Honestly, who are they, and can I kick their butts?

“They” make it sound so easy to create a perfect separation between work and home—like a few simple tricks will magically give you a divided, happy life. But in real life, maintaining that separation is far harder than “they” claim.

Worklife balance is the harmony between your professional world and your personal world. It doesn’t need to be a perfect 50/50 split, but it should create an equilibrium where each part of your life feels whole without the other spilling over. In that balance, you should have enough energy to meet your career goals while still having space for family, hobbies, vacations, and the selfcare you need to stay grounded.

It sounds simple: keep work and home separate to minimize stress. But let’s be real—work bleeds into home, and home bleeds into work. Stress doesn’t respect boundaries. Whatever clogs your mental channels will take up time and space no matter where you are. We’re human. Our worries overflow and invade boundaries.

“Setting electronic boundaries is a hard first step—but it’s a powerful place to start.”

Imagine you’re validating a new chemistry analyzer with a firm deadline because the old instrument is about to be decommissioned. Even when the validation goes smoothly, it’s stressful. Your brain jumps to worstcase scenarios: something breaks, something fails, or the new instrument turns out to be a lemon. Even when everything is on track, your mind still invents derailments. That stress leaps over the boundaries you set and follows you into dinner, TV time, and bedtime. You can’t just leave it at work.

The same thing happens with personal stressors. Maybe you’re preparing for a vacation and worrying about reservations or getting your kids through the airport. Maybe someone you love is dealing with health issues. Maybe your kid is being bullied and you’re Googling how much jail time you’d get for punching a 12-year-old. Whatever the situation, it’s hard to stop those thoughts from creeping into your workday.

So how do we keep a “neater” worklife balance when meaningful boundaries feel impossible? I suggest focusing on one skill that helps divide your work brain from your home brain while still giving you space to acknowledge intrusive thoughts without letting them take over your entire day: set boundaries with your electronics.

This sounds easy, but like anything involving electronics, it’s harder than it looks.

WorkTime Electronic Boundaries
  • Step 1: Don’t use your personal cell phone at work. It’s gross (lab life is gross, y’all) and full of homelife content. You can’t separate home from work if you keep introducing home into your workday.
  • Step 2: Don’t use your work computer for personal activities. This is good practice anyway, but it also prevents homelife from infiltrating your work time.
  • Step 3: If you absolutely need to check something personal, do it on your break. Breaks should already be workfree, so they’re the perfect time to shift your focus.
HomeTime Electronic Boundaries
  • Step 1: If you have work email or apps on your personal devices, don’t check them at home. You’re not getting paid to respond off the clock, and no one expects you to. Turn off notifications, avoid opening those apps, and leave work for work time. If someone truly needs you, they’ll call.
  • Step 2: Leave your work devices at work or keep them zipped away in your backpack so you’re not tempted to check them.

Everyone talks about the importance of worklife balance and how it reduces stress, but finding what works for you is a personal experiment. It takes time, effort, and a willingness to change. Setting electronic boundaries is a hard first step—but it’s a powerful place to start.

Ali Murphy is an LIS Technical Specialist at HealthPartners in Minneapolis, Minnesota.