Develop your boundary muscle, decrease the risk of burnout and increase your productivity and success

As a Leadership Coach I work with a variety of leaders (front line managers to entrepreneurs), helping them to improve their life balance and operate more effectively. This ultimately results in their success and well-being as well as their teams’.

Time after time, right during the first session, a core problem comes to surface. Their lack of boundaries at work and at home! This steals their energy and time, and stops them from working and enjoying life at their fullest potential. In many cases this can lead to burn out.

 The concept of burnout was validated as an “occupational phenomenon” when the World Health Organization (WHO) included it in its International Classification of Diseases. Those experiencing burnout can suffer from excessive fatigue and mental exhaustion which in turn can lower work performance and cause job dissatisfaction. Over time, burnout can also increase your vulnerability to disease and even potentially cost you lost income because of unpaid sick leave or a missed promotion. Also, the economical cost for companies estimated by the Stanford Graduate School of Business is an exorbitant amount between $120-190 billion a year, a rate comparable to cancer, at $172.8 billion a year.

An essential way to avoid burnout is creating healthy boundaries. And that’s not just about learning how to say no (although that's part of it!). It's also about making room to say “Yes!”. Yes to what brings you excitement and joy. Yes to what sustains you. Yes to the things that are most important to you.

Boundaries set the tone for what we allow to happen (and participate in) with our own and others’ behaviour. Our boundaries show how we allow ourselves to be treated (by others, and by ourselves). Boundaries are essentially rules that protect and honour your deepest values, your joy, energy and time. When you have healthy boundaries in place, you’ll find a greater sense of inner balance, and have more energy to pursue your priorities.

Increasing your boundary muscle helps you avoid being overwhelmed by the constant demands around you and be aligned with your values. Here are some tips to help you with this very important muscle. 

1. Identify your essential work and focus on it

Figure out what you need to get done that can’t be delegated, and how many hours you’ll need to do it. Schedule it in your calendar and stick to it no matter what, unless you’re working in an emergency room, or there is an actual emergency. 

There are different ways to do this. Now that we mostly work from home, you can log off your email and office chat system. You can inform your team that at a certain time of day you’re working on your own tasks. No interruptions, except for real life and death emergencies. If it helps, set up an auto-reply that says “I’m currently focusing on (name of the project) and will respond to your email after (put a specific time).”

If you’re in the office, then put a “Do Not Disturb” sign next to yourself which should deter people from coming and interrupting you. 

2. Be clear about what you are able to do, and by when

If you’re in the middle of finishing an important task and you are asked by your boss to do something else, explain that you are willing to do it but that either you have to finish the task at hand first or if you start working on the second task, it will mean the first task you were working on will not be finished in time. Being clear gives you control. If the new task comes from someone other than your boss then you need to check with your boss first before committing to anything. 

3. Realize if your cultural background is not helping you with boundaries

In some parts of the world cultural expectations and obligations can conflict with healthy boundaries. If you come from a culture where there is no sense of ‘personal time’ or the expectations of your family outweigh your personal wants and needs, you are likely to have weak boundaries without even realizing. Or you will treat your weak boundaries as “I’m only working hard to climb the corporate ladder”. This could go on until you face complete mental exhaustion or physical health problems. Try to recognize and catch yourself when your cultural background becomes a nuisance for your mental and physical health. 

4. Don’t raise your hand for every additional task that comes up

Most people want to be helpful so they volunteer when an urgent task comes up. Do that in moderation please. It’s like having too much alcohol; you're going to have a massive hangover and won’t be able to accomplish much. 

In conclusion, you only have one life and one self. You have to take care of yourself and your team first. As the saying goes “Put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others with theirs.” That means you cannot really help others if you yourself are overworked and emotionally drained. You can only get so much accomplished when you are burned out. By setting boundaries and taking care of yourself, you can actually do and accomplish much more. And your team is going to thank you for that because you’ll be setting the example for them.