5 Reasons Why Setting Boundaries at Work Helps You Do Your Job Better
Category: Misc.
Topic Of Discussion
Let’s talk about hustle culture. Whether you’re a Millennial, Gen Xer, or Boomer, chances are good that at some point in your career you’ve been rewarded for your “hustle” in the workplace. But let’s face it…for a lot of us, the workplace looks totally different than it used to. Whether your job has gone remote or hybrid, or technological advances have just changed your responsibilities, what used to be rewarded as “hustle”…now might seem kind of outdated.
If we’ve learned anything as a culture in the last decade, it might be that global events like the pandemic and technological advancements like AI can inherently (and quickly!) change the way we think about productivity…and, as a result, change the way we think about setting boundaries around our work. “Hustle” in today’s culture may as well be defined as creative boundary-setting, since boundary-setting, we’ve learned, actually increases productivity.
Still not convinced? That’s okay. Let’s keep talking…
1. Setting boundaries sets reasonable expectations (for yourself and others!)
Until the pandemic, a lot of us thought it was perfectly normal to work from 9-5 with a (sometimes hefty) commute on either end. Lockdowns forced many of us to work remotely, and also forced us to realize how out-of-whack those workday expectations we put on our past-selves might’ve been. While a sense of purpose and routine is important for mental health, so is a work-life balance. For many of us, lockdowns created a mandatory boundary that actually led to cultivation of a better work-life balance for ourselves and everyone we work with.
And the proof of this being a good change is in the pudding! How many times have you heard someone say that working from home led them to get more work done faster? Have you experienced this? It might not be true for everyone…but it was certainly true for a lot of us!
2. Setting boundaries minimizes workplace drama
Or, say you still work in a more traditional work environment. How often has some workplace drama simmered to the surface as a result of being pushed to do more than is reasonable? Old-school “hustle culture” often rewarded a daily grind that led to conflict and burnout later. With this in mind, more boundaries will almost definitely = less drama, in part because…
3. Setting boundaries creates necessary new positions
…with the use of AI on the rise, we all hear a lot about the elimination of certain jobs. While some technology-driven evolution around the workplace norms seems inevitable, one way for humans to protect jobs for other humans may very well be to say when they’re feeling overwhelmed! Only by putting limits on what work can feasibly be done by humans (reasonably assuming that some amount of human-based labor will have to continue!) can more jobs for humans continue to exist. By setting boundaries in your own job, you can create jobs for others!
4. Setting boundaries increases healthy communication (by usually requiring it!)
On top of this, in the workplace (whether virtual or in-person) boundaries will generally need to be communicated. This need for communication helps everyone! If your job is remote or hybrid, chances are good that it can sometimes feel a little isolating. Communicating boundaries breeds opportunities for the connections with co-workers that you otherwise lack. The same is true for if you’re working in person. It’s undeniable that difficult, face-to-face, conversations can increase the closeness and trust essential to growth (for individuals and workplaces as a whole!)
5. Setting boundaries reduces your risk of burnout
In a changing world, one thing that holds true is that burnout is not only possible, but probable without healthy boundary-setting. Burnout hurts everyone – individually and collectively. So, by setting boundaries, we can protect ourselves and others from hurt and setbacks.
Wrapping it up
Many of us carry triggers and traumas that make boundary-setting difficult, even if we can rationally understand the benefits of setting them. If boundary-setting is proving tough, you don’t have to go it alone. Our therapists at Tri-Star Counseling are happy to help you move forward!
