Last week, I was chatting with a freelancer friend who admitted that she does her best work at 2 a.m.

This shocked me, because unless I absolutely have to I never work past 5 p.m. It’s not a hard rule, exactly — I work late to accommodate tight deadlines, or when appointments keep me out of the office during normal hours. But most days, I finish up my work day around the same time as more traditionally employed people.

I think regular office hours are important for freelancers. They’re helpful to clients, because then they know when they can reliably reach you. They also help to maximize your productivity, because you get into a habit of working during that time.

But most importantly, they help you keep a work-life balance.

Separating your home life from your work life is difficult when you work from your home. I’ve talked before about the importance of having an office space, and I think keeping regular office hours goes along with this.

Office hours can be flexible, as I said before. But having them ensures that you’re able to have a life outside of work – and no matter how much you love your job, that’s something to strive for.