How to Set Healthy Boundaries at Work
Let’s talk about boundaries. You know, those hard lines you draw to protect your peace? Yeah, those. It’s important to set boundaries in all areas of your life, work included. Lots of us are working from home or doing a hybrid schedule, which makes setting healthy boundaries even more important. Here’s how you can set healthy boundaries at work and feel good about it.
Set physical boundaries first
If you work from home, the first step in setting healthy work boundaries is having a designated work space. Create an office space, or set up a corner of your home that you use strictly for work. Try to keep that space separate from your living and relaxation space so it’s easier to unplug when the work day is over.
Create a work schedule
This means have a designated start and stop time for your work day. If you can help it, try not to work before or after time timeframe you set. Having a work schedule helps you build a morning routine that you can do before the work day starts, and it helps you resist the urge to burn the midnight oil. Make sure you honor the work schedule you set. If you don’t honor your work schedule, no one else will either.
You can also create a schedule within your work day. Block your calendar during times where you need to be head-down or your lunch break. Sometimes, last-minute meetings can be disruptive to your productivity, and you want to use your work day wisely. Be sure not to abuse blocking your calendar—the idea is to maintain respectful boundaries, not to make yourself completely unavailable.
Be honest about your workload
We all experience ebbs and flows in our workloads. Some days, weeks, or months are busier than others and that’s normal. But, if you find yourself drowning in work, don’t be afraid to tell your boss. Your goal is to produce quality work and that’s simply not feasible if you can’t handle everything on your plate. A workload that’s too heavy makes for poor work-life “harmony” and leads to burnout. Talk to your boss and they should be willing to help lighten your load.
Learn to say “no”
This is the one right here. If you’re anything like me, saying “no” can be really difficult. I’m a helpful person by nature, so my automatic response is to jump in when I’m asked to without a second thought. Don’t do this. Setting healthy boundaries at work means you’ll have to say “no” to some things, and that’s okay. Of course, you have to do so with tact and respect for the person asking but you don’t have to say yes to everything. A good practice is to give yourself some time to assess everything you have going on before you commit.
Take time off
PLEASE use your PTO. And when you take time off, make sure you unplug from work. You can treat yourself to a staycation, tend to things around your house, or even take a few days to do nothing. Whatever you decide to do with your time is your business and you deserve it. Physically getting away from work for a few days is one of the best boundaries you can set. Even if you’ve been working from home, you deserve the time and space to recharge.
I hope you all found these tips helpful. Setting boundaries at work can be challenging, but so necessary for your mental health. Have you been setting healthy boundaries for yourself at work? Leave a comment and let me know.
