Work-Life Balance in Tech: My Personal Experience

Work-Life Balance in Tech: Myth or Reality?

My Strategies That Worked

Strict Time Blocks: Using tools like Google Calendar, I carved out non-negotiable blocks for work, family, and personal time. The trick is treating all these blocks with equal respect. If I wouldn’t skip a meeting without a good reason, why would I skip family dinner or my meditation hour?

Tech-Free Zones: Creating spaces at home where no work-related tech is allowed was a game changer. It’s tempting to check just one more email, but having physical spaces where this is not even an option helps in mentally clocking out.

Prioritizing Tasks: Not every email needs an immediate response. Learning to prioritize with tools like Asana or Trello meant I could focus on what truly needed my attention each day, reducing the overwhelm and freeing up time for life beyond the screen.

Mindfulness and Physical Activity: Regular exercise, even if it’s just a 30-minute walk, and daily mindfulness practices through apps like Headspace, have been crucial. They’re not just breaks from work; they’re tune-ups for my brain.

What Didn’t Work for Me

The Pomodoro Technique: Surprisingly, the popular work/break intervals didn’t gel with my workflow. In the depths of coding or problem-solving, breaking every 25 minutes disrupted my focus more than it helped.

Multitasking: Attempting to juggle multiple tasks at once, both work and personal, led to neither being done well. It was a hard lesson in the value of single-tasking.

All Work, No Play Philosophy: Early on, I bought into the hustle culture, thinking leisure was a luxury I couldn’t afford. This only led to burnout. Balancing intense work periods with genuine leisure activities is crucial, not optional.

Achieving work-life balance in tech isn’t about dividing my time evenly but about investing it wisely. It’s an ongoing process of adjustment and learning, tailored to the unique demands of our lives and careers in this ever-evolving industry.