Soft General

3 min read
Oct 23, 2021
Work-life balance for software engineers

Have you ever feel drained, powerless, and apathetic? The chances are that you’re experiencing burnout syndrome as the result of an unhealthy life-work balance. 

The good news is that you’re not alone in this: More than half of Americans experience an unhealthy life-work balance, according to Groupon research. As the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people were forced to work remotely, struggling to establish clear boundaries between work and personal. 

So what are the possible implications and how React.js or Node.js developers to deal with them?

Consider consequences

Many people might take it lightly as some overwork issue that can be easily mitigated with some rest. However, failing to attend to this problem periodically can lead to long-term health consequences. 

Obesity

Neglecting your body is the first sign of a poorly balanced lifestyle. You suddenly discover that you don’t really have time for it. Ask yourself, how many times have you caught yourself getting food from a wending machine recently? Perhaps, you’ve been ordering pizza delivery a lot? Or you’re not getting any food at all? If the answer is yes, it’s probably time for you to start addressing your eating habits. 

Low self-esteem

As your fatigue gets accumulated, you will experience a decrease in your productivity. Tasks that you could previously deal with effortlessly now take more time and energy to accomplish. All of a sudden, it seems like no matter how hard you try, it’s never enough. Perhaps, all of this has nothing to do with the current state of things, but you would have a hard time distinguishing it at that point. 

Loneliness

Do you trade off your friends and family for work? Be prepared that your social relationships will suffer in the long run. It might take significant efforts to fix those relationships. No matter how valuable your job is to you, it can be replaced, unlike your dear ones. 

Work out solutions

You’ve come to realize the scale of your problem. Good. Now it’s time to work out an effective solution. 

Go on vacation

Recharge your batteries before committing yourself to any profound changes. A good piece of advice: if you were subject to a sedentary life, it would be good to experience something active. However, it’s entirely up to you.

Learn time management skills

The very fact of a poor life-work balance is a sign that you can’t establish your priorities. There are different approaches to planning your strategic goals, but the most common one is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). Reading this iconic book “Getting Things Done” can be a great starting point. 

Set clear boundaries

Know your limits. It’s totally fine to overwork from time to time; however, it should be a major red flag for you when it becomes routine. Stop taking on tasks that invoke an erroneous sense of obligation. 

Make time for exercising

Physical exercises condition both your body and mind. This slightest change to your routine will help you feel energized and more productive. Find your thing and stick to it. This could be anything: gym, yoga, or morning jogging. 

Socialize 

Avoiding meaningful interactions can lead to social isolation, which leads to more serious mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. iI helps improve cognitive skills, improve your sense of well-being. Try making some time and seeing people offline if possible. 

Reach out to business coach

In case the above mention tips do not work for you, seek out the help of professionals. An experienced business coach can help you work out your career goals and teach you to be more productive.

How SoftGeneral helps its teammates

Work-life balance remains one of our top priorities because we believe only people feeling good can share a positive attitude, be more efficient in their work, and consistently move forward. To support our employees in balancing their lives, SoftGeneral has a team of life coaches who provide one-on-one sessions twice a month with every single specialist. During these meetings, a life coach not only helps employees stabilize their lives and design a personal path, attractive and challenging but prevents instabilities and advises on how to keep balanced.

We are proud that in our team, no one left the company because of burnout. Interested in how we’re doing that? Send us your CV, and we’ll find an appropriate position for you.