As a software developer, having a work-life balance is important. It keeps your mental state at its best, which is really crucial for your job. Your health is also going to be better.
However, when there seems to be a never-ending pile of work, having a work-life balance just seem like a dream for some. Well, it doesn’t have to be. In this post, I’m going to share 5 ways on how to improve your work-life balance. Do note it is all based on my own experience so it may not fit your situation.
Make Time for “Me Time”
When the work starts piling up, one of the first things to go is your “me time”. There is a tendency to trade away your “me time” to get more work done. In the short run, it might work but it is not something sustainable. With enough time it can even lead to burnout.
So, you need to make time for yourself. You need to make sure to take the time to reset and recharge. Work on your hobbies or do something you find fun. Spend time with your friends and family. Also, go take a vacation.
Create Boundaries
We live in a time where reaching someone is very simple. You can call, text, send a message over a messenger app, or email all on a phone. Also, a phone has become a common item that almost anyone will have access to. However, just because you can be reached that doesn’t mean you need to answer outside of work hours. Don’t take your work laptop with you, answer emails at night, or answer work calls outside of work hours.
Set boundaries with your employers so you both understand your availability. The moment you start responding outside of working hours is when it is perceived that you have given permission to always do that. Of course, things happen, and it can be a real emergency and in that case, you might want to respond within reason.
Learn to Say “No”
Saying no to things at work might be difficult, but it is something that will greatly help yourself gain time back. Now, I am not saying you just decline everything asked, but rather you think about the request before giving a response. Does the request have any importance to you? Will this help your career? Will this cause you unnecessary stress?
It’s great to offer a helping hand when you can. However, if you agree to attend every event or take on every project, you’ll find yourself with no time left for yourself.
Take Breaks
Developing software puts a heavy cognitive load on your brain. It’s like a workout for your brain. Similar to a physical workout, you need to take breaks in between. As a human being, you’re not meant to be staring at a computer screen for hours on end. It’s bad for your health and mental wellbeing.
Manage Your Time Effectively
How often has this happened to you? You have a list of things to do for work then at the end of the day you end up getting a quarter of it done at best. The expectation for yourself was you would get all of them done by the end of the workday. The reality is that you won’t be able to get a grocery list of tasks done in a day. So, you need to start analyzing your to-do list and take out the noise (tasks that bring little to no value).
With a trimmed down to-do list, you’ll need to schedule those tasks to be worked on. Why schedule them? Well, it’s because you have times of the day when you are more energetic and times when you are less so. You want to put the difficult and valuable tasks during times when you are at your best. Save the dull but valuable tasks for other times of the day.
By having a to-do list of valuable tasks and strategically working on them based on your energy level throughout the day, you will be amazed at your output. Suddenly, you’re able to get all the important things done and maybe even have extra time to spare.
I hope this post was helpful to you. If you found this post helpful, share it with others so they can benefit too.
Do you find work-life balance important? Do you struggle with achieving work-life balance?
To get in touch, follow me on Twitter, leave a comment, or send me an email at steven@brightdevelopers.com.