In IT, work-life balance is often difficult to strike. For professionals in KC technical jobs across the city, long hours and hard work are a normal part of the culture, whether you are employed at a dedicated tech company, or simply in the IT department.
Not only that, but thanks to your mobile device, it can be hard to disconnect from tech jobs in Kansas City, even when you’re not at the office. Just responding to emails or fixing a problem for your boss can start to eat into your time at home and take away from leading a healthy, balanced life.
But when you continue on like this, it eventually leads to burnout. There’s only so long you can miss out on sleep, consume energy drinks, and put yourself and your health last in order to get more work done. While you might be highly productive for a short period, you’ll eventually become less efficient and less accurate as time goes on.
The good news is that there are some steps you can take that will help you to achieve and maintain more balance today, all in a way that doesn’t negatively affect your career tomorrow. Just some of them include:
Create boundaries.
Sometimes, you just need to say “no.” If you’re in the middle of a taxing project, don’t agree to take on another stressful initiative just so you don’t disappoint other people. You might make them happy, but you’ll simply wear yourself out in the long run. Instead, focus on those initiatives that will have the biggest impact on your career, and when necessary, turn down the other ones, if possible.
Make time for you.
There should be times throughout your day where you’re focused on things other than work. Whether you go running in the morning, or socialize with friends and family in the evening, it’s important that you’re doing things that you enjoy that are unrelated to work. If you don’t take the time to recharge your body and renew your mind, you’re not going to be much use to your employer. Everyone needs break time to stay productive and happy.
Stay focused on the present.
One of the easiest ways to impact your work-life balance is to stay focused on the present. When you’re at work, commit yourself to your job and whatever project you’re working on 100%. But when you’re with family or friends or doing something on your own, stay present there too. It’s easy to let your mind wander; yet, fight the urge. When you do, you’ll get more done in your day and also enjoy it more too.
Looking to advance your career in a new tech job in Kansas City?
The team at Morgan Hunter can help. As top technical recruiters in the area, we’re always on the lookout for talented IT professionals to fill a variety of roles. Simply search our KC technical jobs now or contact us today to learn more.
