Creating a Supportive Work Environment for Boundaries

7 Ways To Set Boundaries At Work (Maintain Balance Without Hurting Your Growth): 1. Define, Share, & Stick To Working Hours Setting clear boundaries around the time that you’re “on” at work is a two-for-one deal: - It makes it easier for you to put work away at the end of the day - It makes it easier for your colleagues to know when you’re “on” What To Do: In upcoming 1:1s, mention that you had some changes outside of work and will be signing off at X time, but will be available any time before that. Then stick to it! 2. Don’t Reply To Messages Immediately When you reply to everything as soon as you get it, people begin to expect that from you. Building in a buffer sets new expectations that you’re not going to drop everything to make someone else’s To Do item your problem. What To Do: Set a rule for yourself where you won’t reply to non-critical emails or Slack for at least [Time]. You can start small (say, 5 minutes) then begin to work your way up. 3. Use The “Substitution Method” For New Asks Saying yes to new initiatives can mean stretching yourself too thin. If you feel like too much is on your plate, try the “Substitution Method.” What To Do: When given a new ask: - Thank them for looping you in - Outline all the projects you’re working on - Ask which should be deprioritized for this When you make people realize that saying yes to this means deprioritizing something else, they’ll think twice. 4. Block “Focus Time” On Your Calendar The average employee is interrupted 56 times per day. That only leaves 8.5 minutes between interrupts. What To Do: Put a placeholder on your calendar where you’re marked as busy. During that time, stop notifications on Slack, email, etc. Then focus on the biggest task you have. Start small with 15 minutes, then add 15 minutes every week or two until you’re up to 2-3 hours. 5. Take An Actual Lunch Break Too many of us “eat” lunch while we continue to hunch over our screens and work. Your body, eyes, and brain need breaks to perform at optimal levels. Use lunch as one of these. What To Do: Block time on your calendar to eat lunch. When the time comes, close your computer and go to a different room to eat. Bonus points if you eat without your phone and go for a quick walk after. 6. Respect Colleagues’ Boundaries Society is built on reciprocity. Make sure you’re aware of, and respecting other peoples’ boundaries. They’ll notice this and they’ll be more likely to respect yours in return. What To Do: Be proactive in learning about your colleagues’ ideal setup. Ask them when their working hours are, ask when the best times for meetings are, etc. 7. Start With One & Start Small It’s tempting to try to implement all of these all at once. Don’t do that. What To Do: Pick one that resonates with you. Think about the smallest step you can take for it (e.g. time blocking for 15 minutes, not replying to messages for 5 minutes) and start there.

Stop apologizing for setting boundaries at work. Stand firm with these 15 moves: I spent (many) years apologizing for needing focused work time, taking earned vacations, and saying no to draining commitments. Until I realized: Setting boundaries isn't about being difficult - it's about teaching people how to value you. Here are the exact scripts that changed everything: 1. Setting healthy boundaries in high-pressure environments ↳Use calendar color-coding to signal focus time vs. collaborative hours 2. Taking their full vacation time to prevent burnout ↳Schedule mini-breaks leading up to longer vacations for smoother transitions 3. Disconnecting completely during personal time ✨ ↳Designate a shutdown ritual (close all tabs, clear desk...) to end the work day 4. Declining meetings without clear agendas ↳Offer weekly Office Hours as an alternative to ad-hoc meetings 5. Asking for compensation that matches their value ↳Document revenue generated + costs saved by your work 6. Speaking up about unrealistic deadlines ↳Develop metrics based on past projects to accurately predict timelines 7. Prioritizing mental health over hustle culture ↳Create (and use!) quiet spaces designated for quick mental breaks. Lead by example here ✨ 8. Saying no to unpaid extra responsibilities ↳Try: "Thanks for thinking of me, let's discuss the value exchange" 9. Leaving toxic work environments without guilt ↳Write a Clean Exit memo for yourself - focus on your future plans, not past problems 10. Requiring work-life integration that works for them ↳Create Life-First Blocks, and schedule personal commitments before work ones (I do this every Sunday) 11. Standing firm on their expertise in meetings ↳Start responses with "Based on my experience handling X similar situations..." 🙌🏼 12. Taking time to think before committing to projects ↳Consider: "Would I want this on my plate a month from now?" 13. Protecting their team from unnecessary stress ↳Ask "Is this urgent, important, or interesting?" for every new task 14. Choosing growth over comfort zones ↳Design mini experiments to test new approaches and build confidence 15. Leading with empathy instead of authority ↳Spend 2 hrs monthly doing your team's most challenging tasks - share what you learn as a group ✨ Your boundaries are a blueprint for how you deserve to be treated. No apologies needed. Which boundary can you work on setting this week (without apologizing)? -- ♻️ Repost to boost your network's confidence 🔔 Follow me Dr. Carolyn Frost for daily insights on building confidence & setting powerful boundaries

This Week, Try This: Hold Space for Calm, Connection, and Grounding Start with Yourself: Before engaging in tough conversations, take a few moments to center yourself. Try a couple of deep breaths, notice your feelings, and find your grounding. You can only bring others calm when you’re first grounded in yourself. 1. Pause Before You Speak Before jumping in, pause and consider: what could ground us here? It’s easy to get swept up in the need to be heard, but sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is listen. A quick pause can change the tone of a conversation, creating room for trust and connection. This small practice can turn reactive moments into opportunities for grounding. Research from Gallup shows high-trust environments reduce burnout and improve decision-making—often starting with a purposeful moment of listening. (https://lnkd.in/ex4ig64B) 2. Gather to Regain Connection Everyone handles stress differently: some engage intensely, some pull back, and others hold on by a thread. When emotions run high, gather your team for a quick and restorative check-in to remember what grounds you. Shared practices, like a few deep breaths or talking about what motivates you about the future, can calm nerves, reset and refocus when things feel chaotic. 3. Set Boundaries That Ground You In tough times, pulling back or limiting engagement isn’t just okay—it’s essential. Boundaries help us stay grounded, effective, and calm, especially when emotions run high. Further, setting boundaries with curiosity can help us see frustration as a cue to turn up the dignity and respect—for ourselves and others. Leaders and Managers: Showing up is the job, especially when things feel unsteady. Burned-out team members, pushy clients, and relentless deadlines amid rising tensions call for a steady, open approach. And here’s a bonus: talking about the future with hope and optimism isn’t just nice—it’s a mental health booster! So go ahead and bring a bit of future thinking into your next team chat. Setting a calm tone helps us feel grounded and ready to move forward. This week, ask yourself: Am I entering each conversation with a clear mind? Am I creating space to listen, even when it’s tough? Will my words calm, connect, and refocus us? We can bring calm, connection, and grounding into our workplaces, communities, and ourselves, even when we disagree. We can create spaces that sustain us, not drain us. Remember: Regardless of the outcome, it’s up to us to build the future we deserve—one connection at a time. #electionreflections #grounding #wellbeing #leadership #management #futureofwork #daisyaugerdominguez