In the workplace professional boundaries give you a sense of control and help you communicate your needs and expectations of others. They include protecting your personal space, emotional wellbeing and responses to work demands.
“A boundary is not something that you place on someone else. It’s something you create for yourself.”
Dr Henry Cloud, author of ‘Boundaries’
| Indicators of healthy boundaries | Indicators of unhealthy boundaries |
| Respect work-life balance and manage your time effectively. | Consistently work beyond your designated hours without limits. |
| Accept constructive criticism and know when to offer feedback to others. | Take constructive criticism personally or avoid giving feedback to others out of fear of conflict. |
| Aim to do your best work without holding yourself to impossible standards. | Perfectionist tendencies which lead to delaying progress or creating unnecessary stress. |
| Express your thoughts, needs and feedback professionally while maintaining respect for others. | Becoming confrontational or disrespectful with others. |
| Delegate tasks appropriately instead of taking on everything yourself. | Try to handle everything yourself even when it’s too much, leading to stress and inefficiency. |
| Address conflicts calmly and appropriately. | Staying silent about unfair issues allowing problems to persist. |
| Maintain high self-esteem and self-respect. | Struggle with low self-esteem and negative self-talk. |
| Only take on responsibilities you can handle. | Feel overwhelmed or burnt out by excessive tasks. |
| Help colleagues when possible but know when to say no to requests that overwhelm your workload. | Find it difficult to say “no” to others. |
| Set boundaries without guilt. | Feel ashamed or guilty when setting boundaries. |
| Have a strong sense of self and direction. | Change your identity to fit in with others. |
| Communicate your needs and prioritise self-care. | Consistently put others’ needs ahead of your own. |
It is important to communicate your boundaries effectively by being clear about what they are and expressing what you need to give you control over the way you approach your role, how you collaborate, and what’s expected of you as an employee.
The boundaries that are important in the workplace include physical boundaries, emotional boundaries and organisational boundaries. Here are some examples:
Physical boundaries:
- Your personal space and how you like to be approached by others
- How people treat your belongings
- The priorities you place on your break time – for example eating, relaxing, or exercising
Emotional boundaries:
- How you protect your mental wellbeing
- What you feel comfortable discussing with your colleagues and how you choose to socialise
- How you prefer to receive instructions or feedback
Organisational boundaries:
- Workload expectations
- Responding to emails, requests and queries
- Responding to additional demands
- Working hours
Building and maintaining healthy boundaries in the workplace requires self-awareness and clear and consistent communication. Here are practical examples of how to implement them:
Set Clear Expectations
Avoid being indecisive and articulate clearly what you need or expect. As Brené Brown writes in Daring Greatly, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” Being respectful but direct avoids misunderstanding.
For example:
“I’m happy to help with this project, but I’ll be unavailable after 6pm.”
“Just to remind you, I need you to give me some notice if you’re going to cancel the meeting.”
Manage Your Workload
Avoid over explaining and giving unnecessary details which might undermine what you’re saying or give the impression that you’re unsure of your own boundaries.
For example:
“I’d love to help, but I need to focus on my current priorities. Can we revisit this next week?”
“I don’t respond to emails after 7pm but will address them first thing in the morning.”
Learn to Say No
Every ‘yes’ and ‘no’ shapes how you spend your time. Nedra Glover Tawwab, author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace, advises, “Saying no is a way to give yourself space for what matters most.” Saying ‘no’ doesn’t have to be rude but also doesn’t require an apology.
For example:
“I don’t think my input is needed here but let me know if there’s a summary I should review.”
“I can’t come to the meeting at 1pm, I use my lunchtimes to go to the gym.”
“I’m not coming to work drinks tonight; I already have plans.”
If you’re invited to something you can say ‘no’ by using polite deflection. To decline an invitation, begin by acknowledging the offer, then state a commitment and finally propose an alternative that suits you better.
For example:
“Thank you for the invite, I appreciate you including me. I’m focusing on …… now but I hope everyone has a great time and I look forward to catching up about how it went.”
Be flexible with your boundaries
There’ll be times when it’s appropriate to be flexible on your boundaries. When this is the case, restate your boundary so that people are aware that this is an exception.
For example:
“I don’t usually work at the weekend, but I can help out this time.”
Establishing healthy boundaries in the workplace is not just about saying “no”, they shape how others treat you. Clear and consistent boundaries empower you to take control of your workload, manage stress effectively, and foster better relationships with colleagues.
Remember, healthy boundaries benefit everyone. When you set limits and communicate them with respect, you’re contributing to a workplace culture that values balance, respect, and productivity. As Brené Brown puts it, “Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”
Take the first step by identifying areas where your boundaries may need reinforcement and practice small, intentional actions to implement them. By doing so, you’re not just preventing burnout—you’re paving the way for a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling professional life.
If your boundaries are not clear, it can make you feel stressed or vulnerable. If you worry about being rejected, compromise your values for others, or feel powerless, it’s a sign you need to build healthy boundaries.
