How do I stop work from taking over my whole life?

When work fills every hour, it stops feeling like a choice and starts feeling like weather, something happening to you. But it is not weather. Somewhere along the way the line quietly disappeared, and you can begin to draw it back, even now. You will not fix this in one dramatic move. The whole life did not get swallowed in a day, and it will not come back in one. What you can do is reclaim a single piece. One evening. One morning. One hour that belongs to you and not to the job. Choose that one time this week and guard it. Turn the phone face down. Do something that has nothing to do with work. It will feel small against everything, and it will feel uncomfortable at first. Do it anyway. That one protected hour is proof the rest can follow.