Is Work-Life Balance Attainable?

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Succeeding as an IT professional while maintaining a healthy personal life can be a challenge for anyone, whether male or female. With the explosive growth in the industry, there is an increased pressure to always be "on," and the 9-to-5 workday seems to be constantly fluctuating and, more often than not, expanding.

Ironically, the influx of technology has made it more difficult for people to separate their professional and personal lives.

"Today, with technology and being connected all the time, it's a lot tougher to disconnect and really have work, and then what I would call more home life," said Michelle Krajewski of F5 Networks. "You have to make an effort to really shut down from technology to help with a true work-life balance."

Oracle's Sharlene Ratcliff echoed many sentiments heard at the Women of the Channel Winter Workshop held in New York this week. As she put it, "When you're at work, be at work. When you're at home, be at home. You're completely focused on the present wherever you are, and drop the guilt."

BMC Global Alliance Manager Heidi Sanzari said that she believed the balance is "manageable." She provided the example of her outside interest in cycling, and that BMC not only accommodates, but also supports, the healthy hobby.

Others are not so sure. "I think that it’s a myth," said Sandra Ashworth of Unisys. "I think that you give 100 percent to whatever you're doing, and I don't know that that always balances out. However, I do believe that you have to put as much emphasis on your personal life to be healthy ... and to be able to function in your position."

PUBLISHED DEC. 11, 2014