Newsletter Article
Member Benefit
Published Thu Aug 04 2022
One of the best ways to prevent burnout is to set healthy and realistic professional boundaries, and one of the best times to do that is when you start a new job. “When you start a brand-new job, that is your opportunity to teach your supervisors and your coworkers how you need to be treated and how you can do your best work if you’re treated this way,” says Camesha Jones, founder and executive director of Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness. She adds that “Sometimes when you start a new position, there’s this anxiety of wanting to do well and be liked, but that can cause a vulnerability where people will go above and beyond their limits because of that.” To do this, start by identifying and communicating your availability. In remote work environments, it’s easy to fall into the “just one more task” trap for hours at a time. Let people know when you’re available, and stick to that. In this discussion, honor your true capacity. Most people want to be seen as a helpful, partnering individual, but saying yes to everyone all the time will quickly make you less effective. Finally, make sure you're using technology to your benefit and not your detriment. If you know you’re a compulsive email checker, set the boundary with yourself to remove it from your phone. That way you’re not tempted to start clearing out your inbox before you’ve even gotten out of bed.
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