Work-Life Balance: Software Developer Edition

Work-Life balance? For many people outside the industry, being a developer or working in technology is synonymous with this term. And while working remotely and with flexible schedules has advantages, it can become complicated if time isn’t prioritized properly or if the importance of maintaining a balance isn’t honored. From a business perspective, it’s important to keep in mind that ignoring work-life balance can lead to decreased team productivity, which can undermine the ability to compete in the market.

This is why we want to tell you more about this aspect, one that should be present in the lives of all software developers today.

What is Work-Life Balance and why is it important for software developers?

Work-life balance is creating a harmonious environment between your work and your personal time. An important aspect of this balance focuses on taking care of your physical and mental health to avoid burnout. It means being able and having time also to pursue personal goals, indulge in hobbies & interpersonal relationships, while also developing your professional life. What often happens is that we prioritize work time over the time we dedicate ourselves, thinking that we will be able to enjoy that “later”, once the work is done.

Undoubtedly, this term is important for software developers and any other worker. It’s important for developers because they tend to work on projects that may require overtime to finish on time and meet deadlines.

What can make it difficult for software developers to achieve work-life balance?

Their daily work involves scheduled tasks and meetings that may take longer than expected and take away from the time they need to meet project deadlines. Time in the day is limited and unexpected issues can be a lot when under pressure, making it difficult for many to maintain their boundaries when it comes to personal time.

Software development can be challenging and stressful, it’s easy to lose track of time when debugging or when writing functional and quality code.

Tips to achieve a good work-life balance as a software developer.

Remember that all of us have different professional and personal lives, so the tips in this blog should be taken as a general idea for the development field. Now, here are some tips to help improve our work-life balance:

• Maintain very practical daily goals: it sounds repetitive, but prioritizing tasks and having a daily to-do list helps us set periodic goals that help organize our work days… which brings us to the next point.
• Set limits for non-work hours: be clear about your schedule and communicate it to your superiors when you feel it is violated. If you work remotely, disconnect! We know that there may be urgent matters that need to be attended to immediately, but they should be the exception and not the rule.
• Get moving!: A software developer’s daily tasks are mostly done while sitting in a static position. Prioritize physical activity, which according to the University of Colorado Boulder, will result in better mental health. Walking is a great active break.
• Check in with yourself: Consider the areas of your life that make up your day. What would you like to do more of? How do you feel about your work? What new habit would you like to develop? These are all valid questions that, when answered, provide us with a perspective of where we are and where we want to go.

And the biggest tip would be, enjoy your work! At the end of the day, it is a part of our lives. Look for development environments that motivate you and give you purpose, ask yourself which programming language you enjoy the most or what type of projects you want to master. Your well-being should be the most important thing.

At NativApps, we work with developers worldwide and we stand out as a company that believes in the growth of its talent. Satisfied talent with an adequate work-life balance ensures excellent results and achieved goals. Learn more here.