I didn’t set work boundaries for 15 years. 15 years of no boundaries led to low self esteem, stress, health issues and burn out. If I would of known then what I know now, I could of helped myself more.
Work in a huge part of our lives. It is what puts food on our table and a roof over our head. Since these things are super important, we might not think about the importance having of a clear separation between our professional and personal lives.
Setting boundaries at work should be a non-negotiable item for you. In doing so, you are maintaining a healthy work-life balance and safeguarding your well being.
Why setting boundaries is essential
Work can be demanding and without awareness or proper boundaries it can easily spill into your personal life. This leads to stress in the household which should be a place where you can decompress, where you give time to yourself, your family, hobbies etc. For a healthy lifestyle, work should be left at work.
Boundaries can help maintain a professionalism in the workplace. You can respect your colleagues boundaries and they can respect yours. Put your full focus into your job during the day, but when it is time to go home, know your limits and leave work at work. Be vocal to your bosses and colleagues about your schedule and stick to it. Of course there will be times where a late night might be needed at work, that is ok, it happens, however don’t make a habit of it. Once you make a habit of it, you can be showing others that you have no boundaries and can be taken advantage of.
Unfortunately sometimes employers might not embrace the work-life balance. This is when you need to take sometime and evaluate if that employer fits in with your needs and lifestyle. No employer is perfect, however align yourself with one that has similar values to yourself, or a openness to employee health.
It is actually beneficial for employers to embrace prompting a hard switch-off from work each day. This allows employees to fully enjoy their time outside of work, and can help employees be more present and engaged during work hours. Job satisfaction is linked to wellbeing and work-life balance. When a employee feels in control of their professional life (ie. ending working on time) , it positively affects the overall attitude towards work.
Setting boundaries can help you become more resilient to stress and burnout and better equip you to handle challenges that may come your way. This will help you and your employer have a longer and sustainable career.
Some examples of boundaries to incorporate into your work day
- Clearly defined work hours – stick to them daily
- Regular breaks and lunch – once you stop taking them, you and your employer may just expect you to do it all the time – Take those breaks!
- Set specific communication times – set time aside to sit and work though those emails, and do not respond outside working hours unless urgent.
- Be selective with Meeting times – When planning or accepting a meeting, think of the importance and be reasonable about the length of the meeting. Does it really need to be a hour long meeting? Too many meetings can actually reduce productivity in the workplace. So be smart and selective.
- Workload – speak up if you find the workload is not manageable, or ask for help before getting buried under it. Sometimes a schedule change or planning ahead of time can help keep you up to date on your work.
- Avoid Office Politics – Unnecessary drama and gossip can take a toll on your mental health and well and quality of your work. Stay focused on healthy personal relationships and not toxic ones.
- Personal Time – Make it clear to your collegaues that personal time is off limits for work.
- Vacation and Time off – Take your allotted vacation and personal days. They are there for a reason, so take them. Don’t burn out
- Say No – Polietly decline additional tasks or projects when you are already at capacity. Be realistic with your capacity. Learn to say no.
- Remote Work Boundaries – If working from home seperate your workspace in your house, and do not go in there on personal time.
Do you set boundaries for yourself at work? What are they? If you have struggled with making boundaries, but negative effects has it had on you?
be kind to yourself.
The Love Yourself Diary 