How Better Boundaries Can Prevent Burnout

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Have you lost interest in a job that once gave you satisfaction? Are you chronically exhausted? Do you dread your job, boss, or coworkers? If so, you may be experiencing burnout.

Burnout is a chronic form of work-related stress. We experience it when the demands of our job exceed our ability to cope. Researchers identified three main components of burnout: physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism or lack of interest in your job, and feeling ineffective or like you aren’t accomplishing anything (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).

If you're a people-pleaser or perfectionist, you may be particularly vulnerable to burnout because you have a tendency to overwork and sacrifice your well-being for the benefit of others.

Other signs of burnout include:

• Feeling unappreciated
• Dreading what’s on your calendar
• Not wanting to get up in the morning
• Feeling resentful or angry
• Apathy or no longer caring about things
• Trouble concentrating
• Physical aches or pains (like headaches or stomachaches)
• Pessimism
• Fatigue
• Feeling ineffective

Burnout is a difficult experience. However, the good news is that burnout can often be avoided or it can be remedied if you’re already suffering from its effects. Learning to set boundaries is an important tool when you’re dealing with burnout.

Boundaries protect us from burnout

Weak boundaries often contribute to burnout. Boundaries are limits that we set to communicate how we want to be treated and what we’re willing to do. They are important because they protect us from being mistreated.

At work, boundaries are a way to assert our needs and rights. These include a need for fair compensation, time off, and to be given credit for our work. They also include our right to work in safe conditions, to be treated with respect, and paid for time worked. If your needs are consistently unmet or your rights are violated repeatedly, you’re likely to experience burnout.

Overworking is one of the most common boundary-related problems people have at work. Technology and global marketplaces have made it possible and often expected that we’ll work beyond the traditional 9-5 schedule. You may take work home with you, work on weekends and holidays, or take on too many clients or projects.

This may initially be acceptable or even feel good because you’re making your supervisor or clients happy, but it’s not sustainable. You’ll end up exhausted and grumpy. Your family and friends will miss spending quality time with you. And over time, your work may suffer, you’ll resent your coworkers or clients, and your enthusiasm for work will dwindle. In other words, you’ll be vulnerable to burnout.

Saying no or setting boundaries at work means you’re less likely to get burnt out because your needs, such as your need for time off, fair compensation, safe working conditions, and respect, are being met. As a result, you’ll be more engaged in work, feel good about your accomplishments, and feel capable of overcoming challenges that arise.

Examples of boundaries that can help you prevent burnout

• Not checking work email on the weekends.
• Taking a lunch break.
• Telling your boss that you need more time to complete an assignment.
• Asking for help.
• Closing your office door to avoid interruptions.
• Calling out a colleague for taking credit for your work.
• Speaking to your boss or HR when you experience workplace discrimination.
• Leaving work on time.
• Clarifying what’s your responsibility and what isn’t.

Boundaries are good for everyone, but they aren’t always easy

Setting boundaries at work doesn’t just benefit you. They benefit your family, your employer, your coworkers, and your customers or clients. For example, it's estimated that job-related stress costs American companies as much as $300 billion annually in healthcare costs, absenteeism, employee turnover, and productivity (UMass Lowell, n.d.). However, that doesn’t mean your employer or colleagues will like or respect your boundaries.

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Setting boundaries at work can understandably feel vulnerable. You don’t have as much power as your boss or employer—and most people don’t want to risk being fired, even from a job they dislike.

These tips can help make setting boundaries at work easier and more effective.

• Be clear about what you need and what you’re asking for.
• Be consistent. For example, if you ask your boss not to call on your day off, but you pick up when she does, your boundary will never work.
• Be professional and polite.
• Seek outside help if your health or safety is in danger and your employer will not rectify the situation.
• When possible, change your own behavior rather than expecting others to change. For example, if you’re uncomfortable with your coworkers gossiping over lunch, you can choose not to have lunch with them; perhaps, listen to your favorite podcast or eat your lunch in another location.

As I explain in The Better Boundaries Workbook, there is no guarantee that setting boundaries will improve your work situation or job satisfaction. "Unfortunately, some people and institutions resist treating others with respect and will take advantage of people for as long as they can. So, it’s possible that in extreme situations, leaving your job may be the only way to protect yourself from mistreatment. But even so, I encourage you to think about what you might gain by setting boundaries at work” (Martin, 2021, p. 119). Often, standing up for yourself, even if others are unwilling to listen, builds confidence and self-esteem and is an important step in asserting your right to be treated with respect.