Freedom. Flexibility. Burnout. Boundaries.
“This feels so much better.” This was the common phrase after seeing clients in person for the first time in years. I deliberated over the past few months how to shake things up. Working solely online has been convenient, cost effective, and flexible. Traveling abroad to Europe ignited desire to capitalize on being more relational. Working, sleeping, and living out of the same space for a couple of years has yielded days of not seeing people in real life (or IRL as influencers say). Granted the benefits of being able to do laundry and cook in between sessions are favorable perks. Gradually I’ve reflected on the ingredients I felt were missing: community, relationships, and connection. This means trading convenience for caliber stretching outside the comfort zone for living robustly.
It’s no secret that work culture has been evolving, and the pandemic expedited where and how work can be done. Culture is defined as customs, arts, achievements, and missions of a social group. Work culture matters now more than ever before thanks to technology for endorsing a wide variety of career options. Companies are operating in rather revolutionary times with workers prioritizing freedom, flexibility, and culture as factors of where they choose to work. Millennials and Gen Z are shaking up the workforce by asking why questions. Why be miserable when you can be passionate? Why have security when you can have freedom? Why not go to the next job? Work is now a primary element of living a holistic life. Security is not as enticing as innovation, and passion in work means providing vehicles of transformation to serve a greater mission. All of these changes occur rapidly benefiting society immensely; however there is another topic pervading flexible work styles: burnout.
Freedom and flexibility are fantastic; burnout is not. Burnout symptoms include exhaustion, lack of accomplishment, and loss of personal identity. Exhaustion stems from having too much to do, and mentally not being able to put work away. When work runs frantically in the mind the person never catches a break. Particularly those without a “home office” there may not be a clear environment differentiating where work occurs and where life happens. Lack of focus and clarity correlates with various tasks happening in the same environment. Let’s be real, if your bed is your place of rest, place of work and reading it may be the last place you want to have sex.
Boundaries are contextual. There is a difference between working late out of integrity for a project deadline versus endlessly working late nights due to perceived or actual adverse consequences. Loss of identity ties sense of self to work. If you compulsions to check emails, deprive sleep due to stress, and rarely feel rejuvenated then you know the feeling of losing yourself in work. Boundaries serve to structure time assuring wellbeing and accomplishments cohesively coexist. Here is a framework on setting boundaries with work:
What are you willing to do? Saying yes is healthy within the parameters of meeting your personal and professional standards.
What do you want to change? For example, continuously missing the yoga class you sign up for each week because you’re working too late.
Connect with Autonomy:
Understand your personal mission regarding work. (Freedom, finances, passion, community, purpose, whichever values come to mind.)
Examine workplace culture. If you stay in a toxic culture, ask yourself what it would take to seek better. On the flip side (this may sting a little), ask yourself how you’re contributing to work stress and toxicity.
Being honest with yourself is key. This may be a dance of stepping up and stepping back in order to make your work life feel aligned with how you want to live.
