Protect your time by setting healthy boundaries at work
I was taught to have strong work ethics by my Asian immigrant parents at a young age which I appreciate for so many reasons. However, I have made the mistake of misinterpreting that to be long hours and limitless availability at work. This mistake has caused anxiety, burnout and physical illness, so this topic comes from a very personal place.
Especially now with hyper-connectivity and in-home offices, boundaries between work and life might be blurrier than ever before. Not only is it very possible to do, setting workplace boundaries is absolutely necessary and healthy for you and everyone around. Here are some things to keep in mind.
It’s not them, it’s you.
Many people ask employers during interviews whether their company values work-life balance. Let’s be honest – work-life balance isn’t a benefit that your company offers you. It’s not going to magically appear one day. It is a set of reasonable guidelines that you create for yourself to protect your time – in other words, personal boundaries.
Define your values and your non-negotiables.
Give yourself permission to reflect:
What do I value in life, outside of my work? Is it my health, relationships, adventures? To make time for those things, do I wish to end work at a certain time? Do I want to commit to taking time-off? Do I need to start saying ‘no’ more?
Figure it out and take it seriously. The average US lifespan is 79 years. Take away time for obligations such as sleep, work, eat, etc and it adjusts to 17.5* years. You should be fighting to protect that time as no one else is doing it for you.
Communicate effectively.
Once you’re clear on your boundaries, communicate them by being direct and concise. You might say something like this to your boss, team or client:
“I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. Starting tomorrow, I will not be responding to non-emergency work emails past 6pm. I am doing this to protect my personal health and well-being. I encourage you to do the same.”
You can use this as an opportunity to define what an emergency situation might be so that everyone knows what expectations are. Companies are currently struggling to retain people during this ‘Great Reshuffle’ so they will be open to making it work, especially if you’re a valued employee.
Be consistent.
If you’re being wishy-washy, changing your tone or breaking your own boundary rules, people will continue to take advantage of your time. Know that you will get pushback and people will try to go beyond your boundaries. Use those moments as opportunities to educate and remind them:
“You emailed me and asked for a follow up during my off-hours, which I have worked hard to protect for my personal well-being. As a reminder, I don’t respond to non-emergency emails after 6pm. I’m happy to help you with your request during one of my open slots on my calendar.”
You can even use a version of this as your auto-responder email.
And if you’re in a situation where your boundaries are not being respected even after you’ve clarified repeatedly, then you might be in a toxic workplace and it could be time to consider taking your talent elsewhere. And if that’s the case, I am happy to help guide you through that process.
*Source: A Life of Productivity
