3 Ways to Set Work-Life Boundaries
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has started, the line between work and personal life has become more blurred than ever. It’s hard to relax when your workspace and relaxing space are one and the same. Even before everything went remote, it was hard to not bring work home with us.
But no matter where you’re working from, setting boundaries — both physical and mental — between your work and personal life is important for your self-care. Creating clear boundaries will help you avoid burnout and improve your relationship with your work.
Here are three tips for setting those boundaries:
Figure Out What Really Matters to You
The first step to setting boundaries is to figure out what your non-negotiables are. Non-negotiables are the things in life that make you feel happy, fulfilled and that you can’t go without. This may be your daily workouts, quality time with loved ones or some sweet sweet alone time.
Once you figure out these non-negotiables, you have a good basis for setting your boundaries. Set aside time specifically for your non-negotiables. Scheduling in “me-time” can help your work from creeping into your personal life.
While your non-negotiables may change over time, don’t sacrifice them for work. When you sacrifice non-negotiables, you risk burning yourself out and becoming unhappy. It’s in the best interest of your work and yourself to have time to recharge and remind yourself what makes life worth living.
Learn to Say “No”
Sometimes saying “yes” can bring great opportunities to grow, but when you say “yes” too often, it can be a problem. In order to avoid taking on more than you can handle or should handle, learn to say “no.” This is an important skill for everyone, but it can be especially hard for women to exercise because it may feel rude or uncomfortable.
To get more comfortable saying “no,” practice. Say it to yourself again and again in a mirror if that’s what it takes to get comfortable saying it. When you’re comfortable saying “no,” you’ll more easily maintain your boundaries and have more control over your life.
Communicate Your Boundaries
Sometimes your workplace may expect you to be reachable even when you’re off the clock. But an important element of setting work-life boundaries is mentally leaving work. When you finish your work for the day, turn off your work notifications. It’ll be much easier to enjoy your recharging time when you’re not getting work emails and messages.
Also make sure that you’re letting your boss and co-workers know what your boundaries are. Communicating your intentions will help people understand that you’re not blowing-off your work, but that you’ve thought ahead about how you will carry out your responsibilities without sacrificing your personal time.
It’s not easy to turn off your work brain even when you’ve left the workplace, but you can still try to reduce the guilt or dread that comes with not responding to a work email when you’re off the clock by setting boundaries.
Work isn’t everything, so make sure you’re setting aside time for yourself. The emails can wait, but your physical and mental health can’t.
By Sam Nguyen
Header photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
