WorkLife — You Need Balance

Work-Life — You Need Balance

Why is it an essential factor in a career choice?

The so-called experts would tell you to work hard until you’re 60 so that you can chill for the rest of your life. It was not a straightforward suggestion from a specific person, but I heard the same old story from various people at various points in my life.

When I was in school, my mom encouraged me to work hard and get good scores in 10th and 12th grade. I didn’t chill at all during those two years. The pressure from family and school kept me occupied. I went through it without a second thought only to find out that nothing changes in college.

Now you start running for grades, again. This time not just for two years but four. Along with that, you had to learn skills that will get you a job. Guess what?! Those CPGAs are not enough!

In addition to semesters, there were internals, externals, record notebooks, re-tests, and projects. Arggghhh…You get it, right?

You hoped that things would change when you enter the workplace. You thought that things would be under control, but, wait for it!!!! The haunting reality peeks in.

Work-life balance is a screwed up phenomena in Indian IT industry. I hear horror stories from my friends who are working in top companies that exploit them by making them work for 13–14 hours every day and even on weekends.

Even those who consciously decide to leave on time are subjected to random comments about “not working enough” or “leaving on half a day.” In contrast, I hear stories from my friends abroad where people cringe if someone stays at the office for long hours.

As mentioned in the introduction, I expected things to change at the workplace, but again with these random comments and unwritten rules, you end up working long hours, taking in the pressure. This time if I give up, the habit will be stuck with me for years.

Why is it important

It is What Keeps You Sane

The human mind is not bound to work long hours. Constant breaks and enough sleep is what keeps you sane and refreshed for next day.

It is What Takes You to the Next Step

By properly managing your work time, you will have time to improve the skills that will lead you towards your next step. There are a lot of complementary skills you need to develop over time to become a great wizard at what you do.

It Makes a Happy Family

The more time you spend with your family, the happier it is. My father has been working 14 hours every day for the past 30 years. He has the financial stability to support me at all odds but not the emotional stability to support me because he has no clue who I am.

It Gives you Time to Focus on Other Hobbies

Focusing on other hobbies than your actual domain is the birthplace of new ideas. Time spent on the gym or other physical activities will keep you energized. Time spent on art forms will refresh your mind.

It lets you Reflect Your Day

Something that is more important than learning new things is taking time to reflect on your everyday events. Tracking your day will let you course correct the path towards your goal and let you create the kind of life you want.

I think I had sold you the idea of having a work-life balance and convinced you to pursue it. In the end what matters is the experience and memories you derive out of your life and not the number of hours you spent working!

You will have time to think, only if you have

time to Breathe.

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WorkLife — You Need Balance was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.