The Art Of Saying No: How Setting Boundaries At Work Can Help Us Beat Burnout
Think of it as saying ‘yes’ to yourself instead.
If you identify as a people pleaser or perfectionist, it's likely that your workplace can sometimes be a pretty stressful environment for you. The need to please is part of the reason why workplace burnout, presenteeism and work stress are so prevalent in working culture, a culture where the need to serve others is placed in a much higher regard than taking care of ourselves. Plus, without the physical separation of our workplaces and homes, recent times have seen a rising number of people suffering from burnout as we strive to always show ourselves as online and prove that even though we’re not in the office, we’re still working.
However, According to Dominique Antiglio, a sophrologist and wellness expert at BeSophro clinic, there is a simple way we can all do our bit to push back against this problematic working culture, and that’s to learn to say ‘no’ more often.
“Saying no is something we should be practicing a lot more often,” she says, encouraging us to think of saying no to someone as saying ‘yes’ to ourselves instead.
For most, the idea of saying ‘no’ to your boss is something unthinkable, something that immediately sets the alarm bells ringing. “If I don't, who will? Will they think less of me? Will someone else be in line for a promotion instead?” are all things that may run through the head of someone who feels that they probably shouldn’t take on that extra task, but will most likely agree to anyway.
“Saying ‘no’ is crucial for creating healthy boundaries,” Antiglio explains. “It invites less chaos and unnecessary work into your life and means you’re not spreading yourself out too thinly – you’re then able to do a much better job with the things that are important. It will also conserve time and energy for your own wants and commitments without making you feel guilty or overwhelmed.”
Sounds great, right? But how do we get over the fear of saying no?
“The first time you say ‘no’ can be pretty scary,” Antiglio says. “It requires courage and confidence but saying ‘no’ is like a muscle – if you train it, it becomes a bit easier each time.”
Working up the courage to do this can be pretty tough, so try to practice some wellbeing techniques such as breathwork, affirmations or body scans to help alleviate some of the stress. This should help you to maintain clarity and approach the conversation calmly, and make you seem much more confident when you come to enforce that boundary.
Although it may take some practice, it’s clear training yourself to stop saying yes all the time is worth it in the long run. Not only can setting healthy boundaries alleviate stress, but it’ll also allow you much more time to focus on what’s important for you, and allow you to be in a much better position to help others when they really need it.
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