Maintaining healthy work boundaries in your administrative role helps avoid burnout. Advocating for your physical and mental wellness supports strong engagement, productivity, and performance.
In contrast, not maintaining healthy work boundaries in your administrative role can lead to burnout. Continuous exposure to a heavy workload, high demands, and stress can lead to feeling overworked, unsupported, and underappreciated.
You are the only one who knows your capabilities and limits. Therefore, you must communicate your needs and maintain your expectations at work.
To avoid burnout, implement these tips to maintain healthy work boundaries in your administrative role.
Prioritize Self-Care
Take care of your personal needs throughout the day. You must continuously care for yourself so you can care for others.
You can use these methods to prioritize self-care:
- Take regular breaks
- Stretch
- Go for walks
- Engage in mindfulness
- Meditate
- Practice yoga
- Read books
- Listen to calming music
- Talk with colleagues and coworkers who are on break
Maintain Set Work Hours
Focus on work during office hours and personal responsibilities and interests the rest of the time. This practice supports work-life integration and a high quality of life.
Clarify with your manager, colleagues, and coworkers that evenings and weekends are your time to handle personal responsibilities and interests. Therefore, with few exceptions for work emergencies, you will fulfill work requests when you return to the office.
Say “No” When Needed
Turn down requests that do not fit your schedule or interests. For instance, if you lack the time to complete a requested task, let the person know you cannot take it on. Or, if you are invited to an event that does not interest you, thank the person for thinking of you and let them know you have other plans.
Take Vacations
Use all of your paid time off (PTO) each year. Spend time engaging in meaningful activities with family and friends.
Ensure your colleagues and coworkers know the dates you will be on vacation and that you will return their calls and emails when you return to the office. You need time away to relax.
Is It Time to Find a New Administrative Role?
Partner with High Profile to find your next administrative role. Use this link to our job board to get started.