Ask HN: Strategies for Work-Life Balance in Tech: How Do You Manage?

by ips1512on 12/21/2023, 2:25 PMwith 3 comments

by coldpieon 12/21/2023, 2:43 PM

(Reader: please read everything in this comment as applying to me. It's OK if you are different from me. My preferences are not an attack on your preferences.)

Software engineer at a big-ish tech firm here. For me, I very strongly separate work from my home life. I don't WFH at all, ever. I don't put work stuff like email or chat on my personal devices. If I'm not at the office, I'm not working, period. Obviously I sometimes think about work stuff outside of work hours, but I find completely restricting the ability for me to actually work on work things when outside of work hours means it's easier for me to just put it completely aside and focus on non-work things. I can't go "oh, I wonder if Bob has replied to my email" and refresh my inbox while I'm cooking dinner, it has to wait until the morning when I'm back in the office.

I would not accept a job that does not allow me to do this. An office to work out of, and no expectation of being "on call" at all hours, are hard requirements for me.

by billy99kon 12/21/2023, 3:52 PM

You need a job that allows it. Once you have this, it's easy.