My Strategies for Work Life Balance
My Strategies for Work Life Balance
Things which I do to prevent burnout in my daily life
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If you follow me on LinkedIN, you would know that I am a strong supporter of having a good work life balance. For me, hustle is not working 70 hrs a week, but utilizing the 40 hrs, prioritizing those in the best way I can and do the same work.
Being a software engineer, maintaining balance and avoiding burnout is crucial for long-term success and well-being. I always believe that career is a marathon and not a sprint. It is more sustainable to run longer than running faster and burning yourself out.
The quote below hits me hard every time I read
Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life
Most of the times, I try to implement the strategies when things start to get out of my control
Setting realistic expectations
Do not overcommit and underdeliver. It is always better to undercommit and over deliver than vice versa
Do not be optimistic and believe that ‘whatever can go wrong will go wrong’ and make estimates using buffer.
Work-life balance is not an entitlement or benefit. Your company cannot give it to you. You have to create it for yourself
Learn to Say NO
Decline meetings where you cannot contribute or benefitted from.
Do not take more work when you are already busy. Learn to say NO. Be polite but firm, and explain your reasons.
Either you run the day, or the day runs you
Prioritize Your Tasks
Prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance. Pick the most urgent and most important task first. Learn more about Eisenhower Matrix here.
Break down complex tasks into easy actionable tasks. Complex and big tasks always makes me more anxious.
You can't have everything you want, but you can have the things that really matter to you
Daily Exercise
45 minutes of daily activity has proven out to be a game changer for both my personal and mental health
Pick you sport or gym or Yoga, the goal is to be active and keep your mind out of the work.
Exercise changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood
Celebrate Small Achievements
We are so stressed about future that we often forget to celebrate small achievements in present.
Killed a presentation ? Go Celebrate. Completed a project milestone ? Go Celebrate. This helps you feel accomplished and indicates you are doing well.
No victory is ever too small to celebrate
Take Regular Break
Working continuously without breaks impacts productivity. Take breaks at regular intervals.
If you are stuck on a bug or issue for a long time, the best thing you can do is go for a walk or take a nap
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
Go on a vacation once in a while
This has been my personal favorite. Disconnecting from work for a week and then coming back recharges me better.
A new place, meeting new people, experiencing a new culture brings a new perspective and you start with a fresh mind once back at work
In this game, everyone needs a break to refuel, recharge, and jump back in full throttle
Seek Help
Always know that you are not alone. You have friends, family, mentors and your network to always support you
Seek help more than often. Build your support circle and always reach out when you feel overwhelmed.
Asking for help is not weakness; it's a sign of strength and will make all the difference in the world
Pick Hobbies outside work
Always have things to look up to. Be it reading books after work or hitting gym or playing tennis.
This also helps you realize that you are not just your work. You have a life outside work and that’s more beautiful.
Never stop learning. Choose a new hobby or skill and love learning something fun and new
Which one is your favorite ? Also, happy to know what you do to maintain your balance ?
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Learning to say no helped me a lot as well!
Great tips, Hemant! From what I remember, when starting out I was very prone to overcommitting. It’s definitely better to under commit and over deliver than the other way around. It’s important to timebox every thing and ask for help when you pass a block without any progress.