{"id":17936,"date":"2026-01-13T10:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T10:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.charityjob.co.uk\/careeradvice\/?p=17936"},"modified":"2026-01-06T16:11:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:11:03","slug":"how-to-set-boundaries-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.charityjob.co.uk\/careeradvice\/how-to-set-boundaries-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Boundaries at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":17943,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9141,3],"tags":[6728,9147],"class_list":["post-17936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-developing-charity-career","category-life-at-work","tag-communication","tag-mental-health-and-wellbeing"],"acf":{"job_search_bottom_form":false,"image":17943,"background":17943,"excerpt":"Feeling stretched in your job? James Pickles shares his advice for setting boundaries at work to enforce some limits and regain control.","contenttypes":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"","content":"Have you felt more stretched than ever recently? Charities have faced an increasingly challenging environment over the last few years and it\u2019s left many roles feeling the strain. \u2018Having boundaries\u2019 can be viewed negatively, as just another way of saying \u2018no\u2019. So how do you regain control and enforce some limits in a positive way? Here\u2019s my advice for setting boundaries at work."},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"What are boundaries at work and why are they so important?","content":"

What are boundaries at work and why are they so important?<\/h2>\r\nBoundaries are limits or expectations that you build around yourself to protect your time and energy, so you can do your best work without getting run down or burnt out<\/a>. If you don\u2019t have any boundaries then it\u2019s hard for your colleagues to know how to interact with you, and what does or doesn\u2019t help you to do your job appropriately. If we don\u2019t understand how we need to be treated in the workplace, then how can our colleagues?\r\n\r\nWorkloads are ever-increasing and employees being asked to do more with less. But you can only say yes to so much without compromising your personal time and wellbeing. Setting boundaries at work helps you understand where to draw this line.\r\n\r\nAn example of a boundary at work might be protecting your most productive hours of the day and avoiding meetings to focus. Most people will respect this, but they can\u2019t if you don\u2019t tell them."},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"How to identify your boundaries","content":"

How to identify your boundaries<\/h2>\r\nWorking out what your boundaries are is about being honest with yourself about how you work best and so how you need to be treated. Perhaps you\u2019re willing to work an extra half hour on certain days, but you need to leave promptly on others. Maybe you need to protect your lunch break, as going for a walk helps you focus in the afternoon.\r\n\r\nWhile this may feel difficult to communicate, you need to set guilt aside and focus on explaining the benefits of your boundary.\r\n\r\nFor example, you might not want to accept back-to-back meetings because you can be more impactful in a meeting if you turn up prepared, rather than flustered because the last one overran. Setting this boundary isn\u2019t unprofessional \u2013 it\u2019s constructive and will make you feel more confident and in control in the meeting, which will help make it more productive.\r\n\"Hire"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"Signs your boundaries are being breached","content":"

Signs your boundaries are being breached<\/h2>\r\nIf you\u2019re still not sure how to work out what your boundaries are, think about when you feel most annoyed, resentful or overwhelmed at work. It might be when you\u2019re interrupted while doing focused work, have too many meetings<\/a> or when work seeps into your personal life. If something brings up negative feelings, it\u2019s a sign that a personal boundary has been breached."},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"Tips for setting boundaries at work (and defending them)","content":"

Tips for setting boundaries at work (and defending them)<\/h2>\r\nWhen asked to take on something extra, you might feel you can\u2019t say no \u2013 especially when put on the spot. Here\u2019s what to do."},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"1. Assess your capacity first","content":"

1. Assess your capacity first<\/h3>\r\nFirstly, pause. Don\u2019t say no immediately, but delay saying yes. You need to make an objective decision about your capacity before<\/em> accepting the request. Think about your to-do list and the time and resources you have. How have you prioritised? Explain your workload<\/a> to the person making the request and ask them to judge where they think it would fit. Making it collaborative can give you more context and reduce the burden of the decision."},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"2. Be flexible - but communicate the impact","content":"

2. Be flexible - but communicate the impact<\/h3>\r\nYou may sometimes still end up in a situation where you have to take on something extra and you\u2019ll need to work more to get it done. When this happens, it can be helpful to make sure the person asking understands that you\u2019re making an exception and what that means for your workload.\r\n\r\nThey won\u2019t necessarily know what you had to drop to accommodate them. By explaining the impact, you help others appreciate the effort involved and avoid misunderstandings. This helps to ensure your flexibility is recognised and valued.\r\n\"Woman"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_content","menu_title":"3. Practice saying no","content":"

3. Practice saying no<\/h3>\r\nIf your instinctive reflex, when asked to take on something new, is to say \u2018yes\u2019, then you might need to practice saying \u2018no\u2019. Run through what you\u2019ll say in your head and prepare how to explain your boundaries. It might help to learn some useful phrases, such as\r\n