How To Set Personal Boundaries For More Work-Life Balance In Your Life
Use personal boundaries to create better balance between your work and home life.
getty Boundaries — as in rules or fences — can be helpful in determining what can and can’t be done and where you can or can’t go.
When it comes to work-life balance, personal boundaries can be used as limits to gain better control over the different aspects of your personal life to balance them with your work life.
Recently, in the news, many people are complaining that they've been working way too many hours because they're working from home.
There’s no limit to their workday. It spills over into the time they would normally be relaxing at home.
Consequently, many people are experiencing burnout. There’s no sense of balance in their lives, no structure, and no boundaries.
Here are 4 ways to set personal boundaries for a better work-life balance.
1. Think about yourself.
To begin creating a better balance in your life, you need to start thinking about yourself.
What makes you happy? What fills your soul? Who do you take care of?
Start by taking care of yourself.
When you take time to take care of yourself, you're better able to show up for those for whom you care.
I’m not advocating that you regularly take entire days for yourself. I am recommending that you indulge in a cat nap if you need it. Or go for that manicure and pedicure (when they're available).
Close your door and read a magazine for 15 minutes. Or meditate.
Do whatever you need to and center yourself before you show up for others.
Make a "Do Not Disturb" sign for your door and let everyone know that if the sign is on your door, it means that you want to be left alone until you open the door.
Your closed door is a physical boundary.
2. Create boundaries around your phone.
When it comes to your phone, have a conversation with your boss to determine and agree upon times when you can disconnect from electronic devices.
Then, share those boundaries with those who report to you. Let them know that there are times when you will and will not be checking your electronic devices.
The majority of us working from home need to establish boundaries between our home life and our work life. If we're always leashed to our electronic devices, we may feel like our workday never ends.
No wonder so many people are feeling overwhelmed!
Think about when you may honestly and realistically turn that device off.
Can you say that you're unavailable after 9 p.m. or earlier and turn your phone off? Are you willing to leave your phone in another room on your day off and only check it every couple of hours?
These are very clear boundaries.
It’s hard to completely ignore the phone because it serves so many purposes. It holds our calendars, our contacts, our games, and our social media experiences. Plus, family and friends reach out to us on our phones.
So, you must decide on a realistic boundary for you.
3. Create a separate workspace.
Create a separate workspace for yourself.
If it can't be a dedicated room, then find a way to delineate where in the room the office begins. Maybe you can move furniture around to create an office zone within the room.
You may want to purchase a screen to create a physical boundary and to better define the workspace.
4. Maintain a routine.
Add structure to your day by creating a morning routine and an evening routine. Good routines can lead to lower stress and levels of anxiety.
My morning routine consists of breakfast, caring for my orchids, walking my dogs, followed by yoga or a strength class, and then a shower and getting into work clothes.
I don’t check my mail until I’ve completed my morning routine, nor do I check my computer or phone for an email once I start cooking dinner in the evening.
This is how I've created some balance in my life. I carved out time in the morning and in the evening for myself.
Think about how you start and end your day.
Do you dive straight into your mail? Do you take some time to settle into the day? What do your routines look like? Do you want to change them?
Our lives will never be completely balanced. We will always be negotiating something, and there will always be something that interrupts what we've so carefully planned for our day.
The key to remaining calm and in control is to rely on the structure of your routines. To know where in your day you have flexible time and to understand your own personal boundaries.
So, use these tips for personal boundaries in order to create a better work-life balance.
Diane N. Quintana is a Certified Professional Organizer®, Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization®, Master Trainer, and owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. Diane teaches busy people how to become organized and provides them with strategies and solutions for maintaining order in their lives. She specializes in residential and home-office organizing and in working with people affected by ADD, Hoarding, and chronic disorganization.