How to set boundaries at work without jeopardizing your career

It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying “yes” all the time at work. You want to make a good impression on your boss, co-workers and clients, right? So you don’t hesitate to add another item or two to your to-do list.

But as senior contributor Caroline Castrillon wrote in her latest story for Forbes: “When your workload exceeds your capacity, it can lead to anxiety, stress and even burnout.” With recent reports finding that burnout at work has reached an all-time high—especially for women—it’s more important than ever to set boundaries in order to maintain a work-life balance that works for you.

Castrillon recommends the following steps to turn “yes” into a confident “no” without risking your job:

1. Shift your mindset: Recognize that setting boundaries isn’t an act of selfishness. It’s necessary for your well-being. To live without boundaries is to live without the respect you deserve.
2. Determine your limits: Label your boundaries as hard or soft. Hard boundaries are the ones you won’t compromise on, whereas soft boundaries are more flexible. For example, you might make it a goal not to respond to emails after a certain time in the evening, but if a work emergency emerges it is probably a good idea to be available.
3. Practice saying no: Practice makes perfect. Start by testing your “no” muscle in low-pressure situations outside of the workplace, like telling a friend you can’t hang out this weekend. Gradually level up by using that muscle in a work environment.

These are just a few of the steps that Castrillon outlines in her story, where she includes specific examples for scenarios you can say “no” to.?

Read the full story: How to set boundaries at work without jeopardizing your career

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Office trends: Busting myths about the 4-day work week

We’ve all seen the headlines about different companies experimenting with the four-day work week. And while there are employees and managers that have sung its praises by touting the trend’s effects on productivity, morale and well-being, others are not so sure, and have even criticized the practice.?

With a typical four-day work week setup, employees are paid 100% of their salaries, work 80% of their previous hours, but need to meet the same expectations as before. That has led to a popular criticism that the four-day work week is only effective for employees who are unproductive in the first place—those who avoid work via procrastination and shirking responsibilities.

The problem with this criticism, as contributor Melissa A. Wheeler points out, is that it equates time spent working with working hard. If success at work is evaluated by hours spent at a computer, then this new scheduling trend wouldn’t work. But if success is measured by the work that is completed, data shows that having a more rested workforce can lead to similar or even higher quality results in fewer hours.

Read the full story: How data busts myths about the four-day work week

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Thank you for reading! We'll be back Thursday with another edition of Forbes Edge.?

This edition of Forbes Edge was written and curated by associate editor Chris Dobstaff.