Work 'Zones': Another Way to Set Limits

As Christopher Null writes, a Chicago hotel manager has come up with a way to help hotel guests relax and recharge: He puts their BlackBerrys away behind lock and key.

I am sure lots of spouses of BlackBerry-addicted mates would be all for this. Maybe even take the key and throw it away. But short of going cold turkey, there are other ways to make sure vacation time doesn't turn into 24/7 work time with a different view.

I've written a lot about setting boundaries between work and life, and one of my favorite resources has been Gil Gordon, a telecommuting consultant in New Jersey and author of "Turn It Off: How to Unplug from the Anytime-Anywhere Office Without Disconnecting Your Career."

Gordon suggests a realistic approach for the connected professional: Dividing your time between three zones—on duty, off duty and mid-duty, somewhere in between. If you're on vacation but cannot afford to completely disconnect from the office, set times for checking and responding to email. Maybe an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. But not on the hour, every hour.

It's all about finding what works for you, and what works for your family. Then sticking to it.

How do you set boundaries between work and family time, especially on vacations?