Setting career boundaries means establishing healthy professional practices. These boundaries can often help you stay productive and happy in your career and help you separate your work and personal lives more effectively.
Not setting boundaries can look like saying “yes” to something that will keep you working all night instead of spending time recharging, replying to your boss’s late-night email because you don’t want them to question your commitment. The longer you’ve gone without healthy boundaries in place, the weirder it can feel to start. Sometimes that leads to bending to make people happy, going back on what you asked for, or never actually setting a boundary in the first place.
You probably know how important boundaries are to maintain your work-life balance, but that doesn’t always mean they’re easy to set. If you’re struggling with establishing limits and communicating your needs at work, it’s important to understand how to set boundaries.
Why is it important to set career boundaries?
Setting boundaries in your career offers the following benefits:
- Increases Productivity
Setting boundaries in your career often allows you to be more productive, as you can focus on your own tasks and avoid workplace distractions.
- Reduces work stress
Setting boundaries often helps you reduce work-related stress, as you can manage many workplace issues by establishing limits and boundaries.
- Maintains a reasonable workload
A common boundary that professionals set is only accepting a reasonable amount of work at a time. This helps you focus on your job responsibilities and work a fair amount of hours.
- Lowers the risk of burnout
Sometimes, an increased workload and stress can cause burnout. Setting boundaries related to these causes can lessen the risk of burnout.
- Sets an example for others
When setting boundaries, professionals are often able to set an example for other employees, which may lead to a happier and healthier work culture.
How To Set Career Boundaries
Here are ways to set and enforce boundaries in your career without feeling guilty:
- Set your priorities
In order to set boundaries, it’s helpful to first consider what your priorities are. This can include identifying both your personal and professional priorities, as well as considering the priorities of your supervisor. For example, if both you and your supervisor consider customer service to be the main priority of your position, it’s important to recognize that when setting boundaries. Understanding your priorities helps you decide which boundaries to set and which aspects you’re willing to compromise on.
- Understand your workload
It’s important to understand the tasks that comprise your workload as well as the number of daily duties you can reasonably handle. Understanding both of these aspects can allow you to set better boundaries regarding your job tasks and help you remain productive throughout the workday. Consider timing how long it takes you to complete tasks or counting how many tasks you can complete per workday. This can help you establish a regular working pace and help set expectations for your role.
- Communicate effectively
Try to develop strong communication skills to express your thoughts to others and set clear boundaries. This can help you explain what your boundaries are and why you need them. Communication often can solve issues that cause the need for boundaries, so learning how to communicate with your supervisor and colleagues may help you create a healthier work environment.
- Establish your limits
Once you have an idea of your workload, work hours, and priorities, try to set limits for yourself and others. For example, you may set a boundary of not bringing in personal items, such as a laptop, from home in order to complete your work. Instead, you may want to request the company to provide you with any tools you need to succeed in your position. It’s also often helpful to limit the number of hours you can work per week. For example, as a full-time worker, you can work 40 hours per week. As a part-time worker, you could set a boundary of only working up to 25 hours per week.
- Understand your emotions
In order to set better boundaries, it’s important to recognize your emotions and understand what causes them. In some cases, you may need to work through a personal issue to solve a work problem, while in other situations may need to set a professional boundary. Try to develop your emotional intelligence skills to better understand and recognize your emotions and learn how to manage them in your career.
- Be honest
When setting boundaries, be honest with others about your intentions and reasoning. This can help other professionals understand your boundaries better and even help you maintain them. Being honest with your supervisor about your concerns regarding your work and professional goals can also encourage them to help you decide which boundaries to set and allow your supervisor to provide any additional materials you may need to build a balanced professional life.
- Respect the boundaries of others
Remember to respect other professionals’ boundaries while setting your own. Learning what boundaries your supervisor and colleagues set and respecting them encourages them to do the same for you. This practice creates a safe work environment. In order to discover your colleagues’ boundaries, consider asking them when appropriate or recognizing their work patterns. Having an established form of communication within your workplace also helps with this.
- Prepare for confrontations
While most professionals respect boundaries, you may encounter someone who disagrees with a boundary you’ve set. Because of this, it’s helpful to prepare for confrontations by understanding what you can compromise and practicing patience. If someone tests your boundary, try to calmly explain your limits and what you would prefer the professional to do instead. While many confrontations don’t progress to this point, consider informing your supervisor and human resources contact of the situation. This allows them to document the situation and manage any future issues if the professional continues to test your boundaries.
- Identify your job responsibilities
When establishing boundaries at work, be sure to identify your job responsibilities to set limits that don’t interfere with your duties. This practice may also allow you to notice if you’re taking on additional responsibilities without credit. Discuss your responsibilities with your supervisor to ensure that you’re continuing to meet their expectations and negotiate any additional accommodations you may need to set healthy work boundaries.
It is important to set boundaries in a career in order to maintain a good work-life balance and raise your career satisfaction. Setting boundaries at work involves establishing personal goals and limits that you share with your colleagues in order to keep good mental health practices while working. Along with helping you preserve your job satisfaction, set career boundaries today without feeling guilty.