Creating Boundaries That Work, At Work

3 minute read

I can’t separate my work from my
personal life - now what?

Are you wearing your pajama pants to your remote job? Are you checking your email first thing in the morning? Is your work desk also your dining table? Are you thinking about work long after you’ve logged off? Trust me, I’ve seen it all. If you resonate with any of these or are thinking about your own scenario - I see you! 

Seven years into my career, I made a dramatic shift in the way I showed up at work which has significantly improved my quality of life. Skeptical? Try out these 3 steps, and see what they do for you.

Step 1: Recognize The Need For Boundaries

The first step to any shift is understanding your need for change! Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, experiencing burnout, or sensing a lack of enthusiasm, it is crucial to understand your cues. 

Step 2: Understand What You Can Control vs. What You Can’t Control

You may not be able to control the influx to your inbox or your work chat. What you can control is when you look at it and how it notifies you. Go into your settings to schedule your email and chat applications to turn off notifications on your devices before and after hours on workdays and throughout the weekend. Even further, consider turning off notifications altogether. Scandalous, I know! 

Consider this - each time you get a notification while you are working, your brain is distracted. You are now thinking about that notification. Maybe you have to open up the email and reply quickly to get it out of your mind. You reply, notice other unread emails, and start going through your inbox. You are clearing out your inbox, checking things off your list, and then.. wait.. what was I working on? You spend a minute refocusing. You’re back on track and then - oh look! A chat notification! Around and around you go all day.

Instead of letting outside factors rule your day, take control by setting boundaries. Manage your notifications, set working hours on your calendar, block time to focus on activities - schedule time to eat lunch!! 

Step 3: Define Personal vs Professional Spaces

Whether you work in the office, at home, or something in between, make it clear where work ends and personal life begins. If you work at your dining table, be sure to “turn down” your space at the end of the day: clean up, turn off your laptop, and put items away so they don’t tempt you for the rest of the evening. If you have a work cell phone, put it in a drawer at the end of your work day. Find ways to trigger your brain to understand the difference between work and home. Unless you are a doctor or work in some sort of emergency field, there is likely nothing at work so important that you can’t take the evening to enjoy yourself at home. If something is important enough to need your attention, work will find you - trust me.

Need help creating your own personal boundaries? Let us know!