Three Ways to Set Boundaries for a Healthier Return to the Office

This article was originally posted on Medium.

---

The pandemic has changed the world, in some ways perhaps forever. We're all going through a challenging, historical event. Our personal lives have been upended (if not worse) and for many of us, our professional lives have as well. We've had to create new routines and get acclimated to a new way of working.

It's been a long time. And now, for many, it's time to head back to the office, either full-time or in a hybrid remote work arrangement. For some, it feels challenging to go back. There may be tension around the idea of less flexibility, less autonomy, the need to commute, and not as much time with loved ones.

In fact, if economists are correct, organizations may see a spike in resignations from employees who insist upon positions allowing them to continue to work remotely at least part of the time. According to the 2021 ​Work Trend Index released by Microsoft, over 40% of the entire global workforce could be handing in their resignations if being forced by current employers to return to the office full-time. 

Still, for others the return to the office is welcome. It signifies the start of getting back to life as usual. Some employees are looking forward to more opportunities for socialization, to feel the synergy of collaborating with others in person, and the comfort of getting back to a familiar "normal" routine. 

Either way, going back to the office represents a big adjustment both personally and professionally. It's a significant change. And, as we all know ​navigating big changes in life can be difficult But, there are things we can do to ease the transition back to the office and thrive at the same time. One of them is to look at workplace boundaries. 

What are boundaries in the context of our work environment? Here is one view: Boundaries are expectations you set for yourself based on your values and work priorities that serve to take care of you mentally, emotionally and physically, in order to improve and maintain your work performance. In other words, boundaries at work effectively communicate what you need and what you want in order to do a great job. 

Without clear boundaries our experiences generally aren't easy in work and life, and in fact, can be quite difficult. Here are some signals that boundaries are missing: 

• Your work schedule and workload have become unmanageable

• You find yourself saying yes to every new project without the time, energy, or resources to do the work

• Feelings of stress, overwhelm, anger, loss of control, resentment, or guilt regularly appear

• Work demands begin to invade your personal life more and more and you miss having time for friends, family and yourself

• In fact, you always feel pressed for time

• Burnout seeps in

This is quite a list, but here is some good news: Although setting boundaries can be done at any point in your life, establishing new boundaries during times of transition is actually the easiest. These life-changing transitions may include starting a job, getting married, having kids, getting promoted, or relocating. Or, how about returning to the office after more than a year of working from home during the pandemic? This is an excellent time to review your boundaries and set new ones as needed. 

How do boundaries help? Not only are they crucial for self-care and for delivering a strong job performance, they are an important element of ​career happiness. Boundaries can help you succeed both professionally and personally. They allow you to: 

• Establish effective and enjoyable routines

• Sharpen mental focus and motivation

• ​Increase productivity

• Ensure your needs are met both inside and outside of the office

• Promote self-esteem and confidence

• Decrease stress and avoid burnout

• Generally improve emotional, physical and mental health

What are some ways to set boundaries to support your shift back to the office? Here are three. 

1. Look at your current boundaries. What structures or expectations do you have in place right now and will they remain necessary when working in the office? As an example, if you have been enjoying two hours of quiet, focused time for projects each day while working from home, how important is it to you to find that same time when in the office? If important, what can you do to make it happen? ​

2. What will you miss about working from home and how can you respect that going forward? For instance, if your job sometimes requires you to work beyond a normal work day and you worry about the loss of flexibility to spend time with family, consider how long you're willing to work after hours and when. How can you structure your hours differently in order to have that time with family (taking into consideration the degree of flexibility your job allows)?

3. Consider your values. Values are the principles that matter most to you in life. They are fundamental philosophies that serve as helpful guideposts as you make decisions in work and life. Vales are the foundation of boundaries. When our values aren't reflected in our lives, we know it. We feel stressed, unhappy, or resentful.

   ​Once you know the top five principles most important to you in life, ask yourself some questions to create new boundaries that serve you best: Think of a recent work incident where you felt stressed, overwhelmed, guilty, angry, or any other negative emotion. What was happening in that moment? What value of yours wasn't being honored? What boundary can you set that respects that value going forward?

Whether or not you look forward to heading back to the office, think through what boundaries are best to help you reach and maintain your full potential professionally while also balancing your personal needs. Setting boundaries keeps you in the driver's seat. It will boost your resilience as you return to the office and help you succeed and thrive once there. There is no better time to do this than right now!

Will the 40+-Hour Work Week Always be a Fact of Life?

When reading last Sunday’s New York Times, I came across Roxane Gay’s advice column, Work Friend. A reader, Brit, had written in about unhappiness with work and at first I thought her letter was a parody. In it, she speaks of working in a dream job that calls on her skills and qualifications, that challenges her (presumably in good ways) and for which she is surrounded by amazing colleagues and supervisors. So, what’s the problem? She reported being unhappy with the unsustainable 40-hour work week and questioned whether she should make a change.

Frankly, I had to re-read her letter a few times to understand exactly what was making her unhappy. A 40-hour work week is standard, after all, and the job she describes seems to have many qualities that most of my clients would love to experience in the workplace.

What the reader writes about is interesting. She mentions that she is 27 and doesn’t believe working 40 hours a week allows sufficient time for the commitments in her life including self-care, creative pursuits and typical family activities and considerations. While 40 hours a week doesn’t seem like a lot to most (in fact it may seem like a luxury for those who work much longer hours), I began to wonder does it allow enough time for rest and enjoyment of the other areas of life?

In her response, Ms. Gay rightfully acknowledges that having to work only 40 hours a week would be a dream for many and that a 40-hour-work-week is just part of life. After all, it’s been embedded in the U.S. culture for many decades. And that’s true. But, here is where my thinking shifted. Many Millennials, such as Brit, have entered the professional world valuing personal pursuits and down time. They believe that workers need sufficient down time and vacation in order to be happy at work and at home. And, I think they’re on to something.   

As I research and work with work-life balance issues, I do see that long hours have a negative impact on our ability to enjoy life (even if we enjoy our work!) and certainly the longer hours many people work exacerbates levels of stress and unhappiness actually decreasing levels of productivity according to recent studies.

Workers in other countries have been enjoying work with fewer hours, more vacation and a healthier work-life balance without any apparent loss in productivity and flow of business. In fact, some companies are finding that a reduction of hours in the standard work week can actually increase workplace productivity. In addition to improving individual health and wellbeing, working fewer hours provides workers a natural impetus to prioritize important projects to ensure they’re completed, reducing levels of procrastination and increasing focus.

Is there any way we can do the same in the U.S.? Although a strong case can be made that we would all be better off with a culture of fewer work hours and more flexibility, this isn’t always within our control. But, I believe  there are things we can do to gently exercise more balance in life individually while maintaining and even increasing work productivity in less time.   

Here are some ideas:

1.     Give yourself a realistic, internal deadline for your work and stick to it. Adding a bit of deadline stress is helpful. In fact, an earlier deadline can help you increase focus  to complete a project ahead of time, meet your goals and avoid procrastination.  

2.     Along those lines, pretend you already work reduced hours and prioritize your work accordingly. Use your time wisely. If you have only 35 hours to get the same amount of work done, you’re more likely to prioritize effectively and increase productivity.

3.     Ensure your workspace supports your desire to focus and be productive. Declutter your desk, cube or office to block out the “noise.” Only bring in items that support a calm, peaceful environment that inspires you to stay focused.

4.     Take regular breaks. Instead of hindering productivity, regular breaks will increase your concentration and maintain your level of performance. Take “health breaks” such as going for a walk, listening to music, talking with a colleague, or doing something creative. Get your blood pumping or just take a breather to clear your head and refocus.

5.     Set boundaries. Say no. When you already have a full workload, just say no. A diplomatic way of communicating this to a colleague might be, “I’d like to help with this, but I’m unable to do it justice with my current workload, so I’ll have to pass this time.” Additionally, say no to unnecessary meetings where you can. According to Harvard Business Review research, employees at most companies spend 80% of their days in meetings, on the phone and responding to emails. As much as you can, say no to the nonessential meetings so that you have more time for critical thinking and work responsibilities, as well as more energy for other parts of life.

Employers in other countries are experimenting with reducing hours with great success, but we have a long way to go to shift the American culture away from an unhealthy workaholic mentality. In the meantime, if you’re ready to explore a change along these lines, what can you do to support an increase in productivity and make a case for a reduction of hours in your work? In doing so you will not only be taking care of yourself, but contributing to an overall shift to a culture valuing increased satisfaction, health, personal time, and genuine productivity for all employees.