4 Tips for Creating Healthy Boundaries at Work

Do you feel overwhelmed at work? Maybe you feel like your manager simply expects too much from you. You’re struggling to tackle all of your responsibilities. But even though your plate is full, they keep piling on more tasks.

Or maybe you generally enjoy your job, but you feel you have no real time off. After you clock out, your boss and coworkers keep contacting you about ongoing projects, and you can’t remember the last time you took a vacation.

It can be hard to figure out how to set boundaries at work. After all, you don’t want to look like you’re shirking your responsibilities. But at the same time, you also deserve to enjoy a sense of work-life balance. Here are a few strategies you can use to establish boundaries in the workplace.

Set Clear Expectations

Sometimes, you might agree to help with a certain project or take on a new responsibility, only to discover that this new task is taking up far more time and effort than you anticipated.

Before beginning a new project or agreeing to any additional responsibilities, talk to your manager in detail about what this would entail. You need to ensure that you can fit all these duties into your current schedule without stretching yourself too thin.

And if you’re self-employed, it’s especially important to get a clear set of expectations with your client in writing so that you don’t end up doing more than you bargained for!

Start Saying “No”

Do you ever feel you have to be a superhero at work? Maybe you’re under lots of pressure to agree to help with everything that is asked of you. Or maybe you worry that you’re letting other people down, so you keep trying to take on more and more until you feel you’re going to crack under the burden.

Remember, you have every right to say “No” to tasks that are outside of your job description. And if this poses a problem, it may be worth sitting down with your manager to talk about your workload. It’s not always easy to advocate for yourself in order to establish a work-life balance, but you should not be expected to work 24/7.

You might want to ask if you could transfer certain tasks to other coworkers, or if you could delegate some tasks to a freelancer or contractor.

Take a Break From Notifications

You just got home from the office - but your inbox is still begging for your attention. Perhaps your coworkers are emailing you with questions about a certain project well after office hours have ended, or maybe your boss is calling you to discuss a report you’re working on. But all you want to do is relax.

The solution? You can turn off your notifications! If your team is used to contacting you late in the day, you may want to let them know you will be switching off your notifications.

Use Your Time Off

Taking time away from work is crucial. You need to rest and recharge in order to feel motivated and productive at the office. Trying to avoid taking breaks during the day or continuously working during weekends will only lead to burnout. Even stepping away from your desk to go for a short walk during your lunch break can work wonders!

And remember, your time off is part of your compensation package. You're entitled to take vacations and days off once in a while.

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Are you struggling to set boundaries at your job? Talking to a therapist can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session.