With ever-changing workplaces, setting boundaries for your physical and mental health is even more important. Setting healthy boundaries can be helpful for you, your coworkers, and the business you work for. Boundaries can help you leave work at work, so you can enjoy your off time and focus on the people in your life. Specific boundaries can also keep you safe when working in a new place or a job where you feel outnumbered.
Ogden Psychological Services wants to help our patients and others understand the need for boundaries. Healthy boundaries can help in relationships, workplaces, and how you spend your time. Boundaries are the best way to keep your mental sanity and spend your time wisely.
1- Taking A Solo Lunch
One boundary that may seem small but that can make a large impact on your mental well-being is taking your lunch each day at work. Working while eating your lunch may not seem like that big of a deal, but having a small break during the middle of the workday can help you stay motivated. Spending your lunch alone can help you decompress, reset your brain, and give you time to read, scroll, or call a loved one.
2- Delegate Work To Others Who Are Capable
Sharing the workload is another boundary that can help you from feeling stressed or burnt out. Splitting up work among co-workers can help everyone feel needed and prevent one employee from being overwhelmed. Delegating small tasks to other employees will help you focus on more important tasks and from needing to work outside of your designated hours to complete the work.
3- Establish And Stick To Your Work Hours
Setting your working hours is a boundary that many people struggle to stick to. Working a full-time job can take up a good chunk of your time, so working extra hours without compensation can damage your mental health and relationships. Once you set your work hours, it is important to stick to them unless it is an emergency. Some ways to stick to this boundary are:
- Don’t answer emails on weekends or late at night
- Don’t work on vacation
- Only work 40 hours a week if you are not getting paid overtime
- Don’t answer work calls outside of your work hours
- Prioritize tasks that you are getting paid or compensated for
- Communicate to your boss or managers before you plan to be out of town
4- Take Time Off
Many full-time employees are allotted a certain number of PTO days that must be used before the end of the year. If these days don’t get used, you often forfeit them and lose out on these vacation days. Using all your PTO time and taking mental health days when necessary is a healthy work boundary. Don’t stress about missing work to take a family vacation, take a mental rest day, or attend to a sick family member. Achieving a better work-life balance is only possible when you take time away from the workplace.
5- Ask For Advice
Learning to set boundaries can be difficult and takes practice. If you are struggling with your current work situation and want to set better boundaries, ask for advice. It may look like a conversation with your HR rep or talking with a therapist. Setting boundaries gets a little bit easier each time you do it, so taking the first step will make the next time feel less daunting.
It can also be helpful to ask your coworkers or friends what their work boundaries are. This may give you some ideas on what you want to set for yourself or how to bring these up to your boss.
6- Respect Others Boundaries As Well
If you are setting work boundaries, you should also respect everyone else’s boundaries as well. Respecting others’ work hours and time off is a good place to start, but taking on delegating tasks or helping others out with projects can be a great way to help meet everyone’s expectations. Your work environment will only improve if you respect your boundaries as well as others.
Therapy With Ogden Psychological Services
Our team at Ogden Psychological Services works to help you develop coping skills and learn how to set boundaries. Our therapists can work with people of all ages and mental illnesses to help them have a better mental state. No matter where you are on your mental health journey, we will welcome you to our OPS family. Contact us to learn more about our therapists and schedule an appointment.
