Setting boundaries in work and life
As renowned author and research professor Brene Brown once said, “daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”
All too often we become “yes women” and never give ourselves the chance to say no.
By doing too much, giving too much, and always being available, there’s little to no time left for YOU - the most important person in your life.
Not setting firm boundaries gives leeway for fatigue, negative feelings, and weariness to creep in, and can result in burn out.
Ask yourself:
Is your work becoming more of a negative aspect of your life instead of a positive?
Do you find yourself thinking about the next task on the to-do list before you get a chance to finish the previous one?
Do you accept work that was not in your job description, or answer emails and calls outside of work hours?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, now’s the perfect time to take a step back and look at setting some boundaries. Help us to help you take back control of your world. Sometimes, all you need to do is simplify to amplify.
Here are some ways you can balance your life and put your needs back into the forefront of your mind - where they belong.
Physical Boundaries
Physical boundaries are a foundation piece in building strong, healthy boundaries. It’s like laying the groundwork- if your space is respected, you will be too.
Simplify your life by looking after your physical self, so you can spend more time amplifying what makes your heart full.
Some ways to do this include:
Say no to attending work related events after 7pm, that time is your time.
Spend some time alone while you’re at work, like grabbing a coffee by yourself.
Take a breather and allow yourself to turn down taking on someone else’s work, even if you want to help them. If you spread yourself too thin, the quality of your work may suffer, and you want to have the time and energy to put 110% into all the work you do.
Say no to working weekends and instead use the days off to do something that makes you feel good, like going for a walk or spending time with family.
Take your sick days and your mental health days.
Find a way to show your colleagues that you're busy (for example, wearing headphones or closing your office door).
Mental boundaries
The age old quip is true: less is more. When you spend less time on things that drain your mental battery, you have more time to put into the things that count.
As we know, getting through a stressful day at work can leave us really drained by the time 5pm rolls around. That’s why having the mental energy to keep going is important to amplify your best self.
Mental energy can be used up pretty quickly if we haven’t got boundaries in place. Setting mental boundaries can help you avoid feeling drained.
Here are some ways to do less, to do more:
Give yourself a set schedule, set hours to work and stick to them. This helps to make
sure you take a break when you need to, so you don’t accidentally overwork yourself.
Decline attending meetings that are superfluous to you and your work. You can focus on what’s in front of you without taking on an overload of irrelevant or obvious information as well.
Set aside distractions when engaged in work hours. Put your phone away or on do not disturb, or plug in headphones deterring your coworkers from disturbing you.
Try not to engage in workplace gossip.
Emotional boundaries
Emotional boundaries may be some of the toughest to set, but make a world of difference when they’re implemented. By having emotional boundaries, you are in control of the things that affect you.
Use these tips for the next time something at work goes wrong, so you can keep things cool, calm and collected and deal with them from within your boundaries.
Let your fellow employees and employer know how you like to give and receive feedback. Communication is key.
Don’t let someone else’s bad mood or outburst ruin your day- you are in control of your work, just focus on getting things done and remember that their bad attitude is not your fault.
Communicate when your work feels overwhelming, and take the chance to delegate work if it helps you feel less stressed.
Create a plan that prioritises work / life balance. If you have something to hold you accountable, it’s easier to stay balanced, and your emotional wellbeing will thank you for it.
Setting boundaries can be difficult to start with, but it’s time to put yourself first and simplify the negatives to amplify the positives.
Once you’ve put some boundaries in place the results will start flowing.
