We can’t let work, relationships, family, health, and relaxation all blur together.
If we do, we not only run the risk of complete exhaustion and fatigue, but also the risk of hurting that which we love most.
When we let things blur—we also let them compound and build—many times causing stress and resentment.
Thus, it’s crucial to establish boundaries between working time and personal time to prevent “seepage” from one to the other which if left unmonitored, can ultimately burden the entire system.
Clarifying personal boundaries—both physical and mental.
Set Physical Boundaries
Physically, it’s important to dedicate a specific space to work from (Prossack, 2020). It doesn’t have to be a fancy office— it can be a simple makeshift set up in your living room/dining room/backyard— whatever you have access to.
The goal is to intentionally create a specific, bounded space, dedicated solely to working and “work mode” (Prossack, 2020).
By intentionally (that’s key!) dedicating a specific space for work, instead of bouncing around to every corner of the living space, you have created a very clear boundary between work and life. This boundary exists to keep work in and also to let you out! A boundary like this allows you to intentionally “leave” your workspace at the end of the day, too.
Physical boundaries like this serve as concrete reminders to “shift” in and out of work, so that you can be present to each part without losing yourself in either.
Set Mental Boundaries
Mentally, it’s important to master the art of “turning off your work brain.” When you step away from your bounded and specific “workspace” for the day— it’s like you are literally “stepping out of the office” and into a different valued activity: family time, watching Netflix, making a smoothie, working out, reading with coffee…The important thing is your ability to fully disconnect from work to give yourself a mental, and potentially emotional, break (Prossack, 2020).
The goal here is to actively and intentionally shift out of “work mode” and into “personal mode”—requiring not only a physical move out of your workspace, but also an intentional mindset shift into home-life. Since many of us are still working from home we MUST be intentional and consistent with this mental shift. If not, we can easily become overwhelmed and distracted as our minds remain in “work mode” outside of working hours.
To aid this mental shift, it can be helpful to close your eyes and actually imagine yourself leaving the office. For example, if pre-COVID-19 times found you working in an office building—close your eyes, take a deep breath, picture yourself packing up, getting on that elevator and heading out that revolving door into the outside world... leaving work behind you. The more precise you can get with the details of your exit—the better!
Start here. Two quick and easy ways to start building back boundaries within our spaces and within our days. See these boundaries as “guardrails” serving as reminders to step in and out of work instead of letting it consume you.
Remember! That urge to answer that “one last email” or “respond to that last text”—that urge is dangerous. That urge is “the blur in action”!
While it might physically take a minute to answer the text or take the call, the mental and emotional investment lasts much longer—taking your mind off a valued activity and back into work.
A final tip…set a hard cut-off for checking and responding to messages. Literally, put the computer in the desk drawer and turn off your work phone ringer. Research suggests that even the sound of incoming messages can cause a stress response in the body- cue the mental/emotional residue (Hackston, 2020).
Don’t let yourself be tempted or you’ll spend the whole evening fighting the temptation which is just as distracting and harmful to your wellbeing as working through the night.
Commit to these small intentional acts. Give yourself time to build them in. Even when you falter— try again. Protecting that which you value most … it’s worth it.