Communicating Boundaries at Work - Even During The Busiest Time of Year

Welcome to the last month of the year. We are tired. We are burned out. We are checked out. And yet… the long to do list remains. 

When burnout is at an all time high and we are all crawling to the finish line to (hopefully) enjoy some well deserved holiday PTO, it’s necessary to be able to prioritize and communicate boundaries during the busiest time of year. 

Everyone is trying to meet deadlines, hit quotas, close out projects, and plan for the upcoming year. And I know, I know, this is easier said than done but as we enter into the holiday season, please do your best to take care of yourself first. 

Work will always be there and it will always be demanding. But I'm here to encourage you to set boundaries, say no, and take your well deserved time off even if it’s the busiest time of year. 

Looking to set and solidify boundaries? 

First and foremost - figure out what boundaries mean to you and what they could like pertaining to your work life. 

When the word ~boundaries~ has become the “it” word of the decade, it’s important to understand what a boundary actually is and what is actually means. Simply put - a boundary is a rule and structure in one’s life. And just because work is paying us to be the company servant, it doesn’t mean we can’t work to put structure and rules in place to be successful in our jobs.

My goal is to help you communicate boundaries so let’s start with some questions to consider when defining what boundaries may look like to you -

• What working hours are sustainable for you? 

• When are you able to respond to emails? 

• What hours of the day are best for taking meetings vs doing busy work? 

• What days would you like to request off for PTO? 

• How available are you to your coworkers? What about your clients? 

• Are you able to complete your workload on your own? 

• What tasks/projects do you need help with? 

• What personal events do you need to attend to during this season? 

• What are your financial goals/ commitments? 

• Does your job respect you + your needs? 

Start small. Define 1 - 2 boundaries you feel comfortable defining in your job. Once you start to understand your own needs, you will be able to set a boundary 

Next, start advocating for yourself in small doses. 

1. Remember time is your most valuable asset - you will never get this time in your life back again. But work? That'll be there the minute you get back. Always. Remind yourself of this fleeting reminder whenever you are about to ask for time off.

2. Explicitly communicate expectations around time off - Understand what time off means to you and your organization. Does your employer expect you to be on call? To be responding to emails? Are you able to fully disconnect? Can you leave your phone/computer at home? What about email on your mobile? These are all essential questions to ask yourself (and your management team) to ensure expectations are clear and consistent.

3. Lead by example - If you are scheduled to take time off yourself, do NOT respond to emails, slacks, or meeting requests. If you are always available, even while out of the office, it sets the tone and standard for others to always be available. This is true for both managers and individual contributors. This WILL results in a lack of trust and higher levels of burnout.

If you want to come back from the holiday season refreshed, re-energized, and recommitted to your goals, give yourself the time and space to be a human outside of work. You will produce your best work when you are the best version of yourself. And sometimes setting and sticking to a boundary is the best way to honor that version of yourself in the workplace.