5 ways to set boundaries around work

SETTING BOUNDARIES AT work-economy-might seem like a pipe dream. Not be available 24/7? Not smile and accept every new assignment? Not push back when a colleague tries to steal your time?

- ANGELA HAUPT

It could be your best career (and mental-health) move: establishing expectations for what you will and will not tolerate is key to increasing productivity and well-being. "Boundaries are limits or personal rules that protect your time and energy and allow you to perform at your best," says social worker Melody Wilding. "Everyone likes certainty and clarity, and that's what boundaries provide." 

Sticking up for yourself is particularly essential, she adds, when you consider how many people are burned out or plain old fed up at work. According to the American Psychological Association's latest Work in America survey, 19% of employees say their workplace is very or somewhat toxic, and 22% believe that work has harmed their mental health. Workers describe feeling emotionally exhausted, ineffective, and unmotivated, and admit to being irritable with their co-workers or customers. Meanwhile, only 40% report that time off is respected, 35% say their workplace culture encourages breaks, and 29% note that their managers encourage employees to take care of their mental health.

Enter boundaries. Setting them can be hard, Wilding acknowledges-but practice helps. With that in mind, we asked experts how to set boundaries around five common work scenarios:

1. If your boss routinely Slacks you at 10 p.m.