Clear Work/Life Boundaries

Creating Clear Work/Life Boundaries

It is so easy to plow through our day without taking a moment to breathe, pause, or just “be.” We move from one thing to the next, whether it is at work, or serving others, or being a parent to our children, we just keep moving. I have found that I can very easily run myself into the ground without being intentional about taking moments to PAUSE in my day. In order to do that, I have to create boundaries so that I am not going 100 miles an hour all day long.
Here are a few tips that I have implemented in my own life to help me create boundaries:
Coming up with an end-of-the day ritual or habit to put closure on work responsibilities. Leaving work and going for a walk, having a cup of tea, or doing something specific that tells you that work is over for the day. It helps our minds shift in the right gear from work, and into our home/family tasks.

Setting a reasonable time to arrive and leave work is also helpful in creating boundaries. Choose a time that is reasonable so you can get self-care in, family time, and essential things that will help you close your day out right.

Answering emails late or working on your computer late at night may stimulate your brain, when you actually need to relax! Take that time at the end of the day to put a period at the end of the sentence and just BE! There is so much to keep you busy during the busy workweek, so you need to “shut down” in order to properly wind down.

Be ok with not having everything perfectly or entirely done on your to-do list. It may be hard to let things go and not dot every I or cross every T, but sometimes for our mental health and well-being, we just need to turn off and tackle the tasks when we are fresh in the morning. I have found that to be effective for myself. I’ve learned to not put added pressure on perfecting everything in one day, but saving some things till I am fresh in the morning to give those things my full and clear attention.

Healthy boundaries help keep us in check in work and school and our overall well-being. Doing self-assessments every so often is a good reminder about how we are doing in that area. Give yourself a check-up every once in awhile so you can stay as healthy as possible in all areas. You will then be able to GIVE BACK to your staff and your family the BEST you!

Hope these tips help you look at your own boundaries between work and life and come up with a schedule that keeps you well and balance