The time when we feel irritated and resentful about most of the things we have to do at work is usually because one - or many - of our boundaries have been crossed.
A fundamental part of preventing or solving burnout is to define clear boundaries.
We are the ones who define the line that should not be crossed and at what point the dynamic becomes harmful to our health.
Now, this issue of boundaries is something we know intuitively, but for some reason we still don't define them clearly.
Why haven't we set limits before?
- How do you feel when you have to set a limit?
- Do you feel guilty, vulnerable?
- Are you afraid of the response from your co-workers-clients-superiors? Why?
In most cases, the answer has to do with fears.
Now, what message are we giving ourselves when we act -or fail to act- out of fear of the opinion/response/reaction of others?
Whenever we change what we feel we should do - when I want to say no, but I say yes because of what they might think, for example - we seek - unconsciously - to please, which derives from a slight sense of inferiority.
When we see ourselves in that position, facing the fear of the response - which 99% of the time is much more positive than the one we have in mind - is the best and most physically and emotionally healthy thing to do.
