If we had a nickel for the number of times people have recommended better boundaries as a “cure” for burnout, we could retire (seriously). Boundaries are a huge part of learning how to prevent burnout, but they are also complicated. And hard. We hate to be those people who keep saying that life is hard. But let’s be honest, we all know it’s true.
It’s worth repeating that no single “thing” is a cure for burnout. We all have to find the right combination of elements that can help us prevent or recover from burnout.
Boundaries – whether they are cultural, relationship, or personal – are all about strong communication and understanding. It should be no surprise that for us, empathy and self-awareness are two necessary skills to setting and maintaining boundaries.
Boundaries prevent burnout because they establish how you (and others) expect to be treated in work (and home) relationships. From our work, we believe having boundaries helps you prevent burnout in three ways:
- Your boundaries protect you from experiencing circumstances that continually activate your stress cycle or prevent you from breaking your stress cycle.
- Your boundaries allow you to set limits on the amount of emotional responding you do when it comes to others’ stories.
- Your boundaries keep safe the time and space you need to practice your Four R’s.
*Don’t know what The Four R’s are? Learn more HERE.*
We know it can be especially difficult to establish boundaries at work and with work relationships. But, we know it has to be done.
It’s such an important part of the conversation that we dedicated a whole chapter to it in our book. Get your copy of the book HERE.
