Picture this: it’s your day off. You decided to take a day off to catch up on life. You have doctor’s appointments, errands to run, and catching up around the house. Life has been hectic (as it always is), and you finally decided to take the time for yourself. Suddenly, you get a phone call from work. A ping on your phone, and someone wants to jump on a “quick call.” And now… you’re working. Your day off has turned into a few “quick calls” and you no longer have the opportunity to take care of yourself and your family.
Now, picture this: it’s your day off. You run your errands. Your house is clean. You have made it to all of your appointments, and dinner is made. You sit on the couch at the end of the night, turn on your favorite show, and relax. You are re-energized. You don’t look at your email, and you don’t even know how many messages you’ve received. You are able to separate your life from your work, and you are refreshed. You are ready to take on your workday tomorrow and at peace with the time you took off.
Who do you want to be?
Why set boundaries?
While work is a large part of our lives, we can all agree that there are times where we are burnt out, tired, or need a break. How can we prevent that from being a daily struggle? Easy: setting boundaries. OK, maybe not easy, so let’s talk about it.
Every workplace has a different culture. There are workplaces where
You work 60 hours but get paid for 40 hours
You work 40 hours and get paid for 40 hours, but the stress is excessive
You work from home, so you’re really always on the clock
And the list goes on…
In any workplace, there are opportunities to set boundaries and protect your personal life from meshing with work life. With boundaries and expectation setting, you will allow yourself more time and freedom for:
self-care
hobbies and personal growth
family life
And when you are at work you will be able to:
increase focus time
increase efficiency and productivity
reduce burn out and exhaustion
How to start setting boundaries
Start with your team. You are likely not the only one feeling overworked and burnt out. Don’t worry about starting small. It’s a good sign if your co-workers seem surprised that you are even bringing it up. It is (usually) not with malice that your team pulls you into a call or messages you outside of work hours. Setting boundaries with your team makes it easier to enforce the boundary when the time comes.
There is no prescription or one size fits all. This practice is based on what’s important to you, your values, your team, and your team’s goals. This will allow you to prioritize those boundaries, and keep adjusting towards what feels right and what works. Once you identify these goals and values, allow that to drive the boundaries you set for yourself.
Setting boundaries with your team is one thing, but don’t forget to set boundaries with yourself, too. There is a time and place to go the extra mile, but if it becomes the norm, it absorbs your time (and the life half of your work-life balance).
Check in with yourself
After setting these boundaries based on your goals, regularly check in, monitor, evaluate your own sense of comfort and progress. Being uncomfortable is normal at the beginning of this practice. Everything can be adapted and changed based on yours or your team’s needs.
Check in: is your work life balance improving? How are you feeling?
Monitor: are you spending the correct amount of allocated time at work and at home? What’s actually happening?
Evaluate: are you feeling less burnt out? Are your boundaries doing what they’re supposed doing?
Check in with your team
Everything starts with a conversation. Your co-workers are (fortunately) not mind readers. It is acceptable to vent about Jane who never makes a new pot of coffee when she finishes it and John who always comes to meetings 5 minutes late. That being said, it is important to know when little peccadillos become proper problems—when Jane starts drinking the coffee from your cup and John misses meetings entirely, only to schedule one later so you can catch him up.
If you are uncomfortable with the way certain things are going, it is time to talk about them. Depending on what it is, your first point of contact could be your co-worker, your manager, or someone from human resources. Starting a conversation like this is hard, but it is important. When you are talking to them, remember to be open and honest about the boundaries you need to set. Be transparent. Tell them what’s bothering you and what needs to change. You don’t need to be rude about it, but you don’t want them to be confused, either.
Be patient when talking to your co-workers. This is not an instant change. It will grow and flourish like a well-kept garden, but expect changes too soon and your buds will never bloom.
Building Boundaries
Everyone’s position is unique. Think about the boundaries you need to feel better in and out of the office. Whether you are in-person, hybrid, or fully remote, setting the right boundaries helps you stay productive, evade burnout, and increase your overall job satisfaction. Need an assist? Drop us a line! We are happy to help.
