Home
>
Parenting
>
How to Set Healthy Limits at Work

How to Set Healthy Limits at Work

Back in college, I wrote for a five-day-a-week, award-winning campus newpaper. My skills were growing and I was earning a reputation as a solid reporter.

I was miserable.

If I wasn't in class, I was out inverviewing sources or toiling in the newsroom. I missed seeing my friends at the dorm, got little sleep and swigged Maalox to get through the afternoons. And still my desk editor pressured me to be more productive.

Then an adult advisor gave me an insight I've never forgotten:

AN ORGANIZATION WILL TAKE AND TAKE AS LONG AS YOU KEEP GIVING. IF YOU WANT LIMITS ON WHAT YOU GIVE, YOU HAVE TO SET THEM.

This insight has come to my rescue over and over again. It didn't matter what the organization was: a place of employment, a faith community, a volunteer group. Setting healthy boundaries on what I gave was MY job, and no organization would do it for me.

Not that it's easy. Setting limits can be scary, especially when your job is at stake. Workplaces vary widely in their responses to employees' attempts to set limits.

"The cold, hard reality is that you can't always do that where you are," says Linda Koch, a recruiter for Flexible Resources, Inc., of Stamford, Connecticut.

Having a strong track record as a valuable and accommodating employee helps.

In addition, experts say, you might:

--Put your proposal in writing.

--Be specific about what you want your new schedule to look like.

--Think like your boss. Show how you will meet goals and handle emergencies when your new limits go into effect.

--Support your proposal with business reasons rather than your personal reasons.

--Anticipate objections.

--Give your boss plenty of time to review your proposal.

You could even offer your proposal as an "experiment," Koch suggests.

The good news is that technology is allowing workers to keep up productivity with less face time. Meanwhile, employers are gradually learning that allowing employees greater flexibility boosts motivation and loyalty.

Back in college, I didn't have any strategies for setting limits. I just pushed through my fear, marched up to my desk editor and said I was going to go home every day by 4 PM.

PERIOD.

That conversation took every ounce of my strength. To my amazement, though, the sky didn't fall! I was fortunate to be taught a lesson that guides me to this day.

Everyone needs healthy limits. If you're giving too much, take at least one small step today to establish the limits that work for you.

Norma Schmidt, Coach, LLC, specializes in helping women who are both professionals and parents to create balance. She offers teleclasses, workshops and individual and group coaching. Norma publishes "The Balance Point," a free e-zine, every other Friday. Visit http://www.normaschmidt.com

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

How to Set Healthy Limits at Work

Parenting