Setting Work-Life Boundaries as an Employee of Color

Setting work-life boundaries is important for everyone. But, they’re especially important for employees of color. People of color are more likely to experience burnout and exhaustion due to societal pressures of feeling like they can’t say no, have to work harder than their peers for the same level of respect and recognition, and the racism and micro-aggressions that are all too common in modern workplaces. Unfortunately employers know this and may try to take advantage of you, like having you work during holidays or times of year when lots of people are requesting time off. That’s why today we’re talking about how to set these boundaries for yourself as an employee of color to get the respect and time off that you deserve. 

Set Boundaries For After The Work Day:

Once you leave the office or the clock strikes 5, walk away from work. Turn off email notifications and silence your work phone. Unless something is an absolute emergency, let it wait until tomorrow. If necessary, set up an automatic email response and or voicemail saying the hours you’re in office and that everything after your end of day will have to wait until the next day. 

Make Time For Yourself Every Day:

Make sure you’re taking all breaks you’re entitled to throughout the day. If you work a job that doesn’t have breaks at a set time try blocking off a 10-30 minute period a day on your calendar like you would for a meeting where people won’t bother you. It’s not selfish to give yourself time to take care of yourself during the work day, everyone else does it and you should too!

Practice Saying No:

If you’re being asked to do things outside your job description, are being delegated more work than your peers who do the same job and get paid the same amount, and or are having the work no one wants to do always given to you, start exercising your right to say no. Employers and peers might try to see how much you’ll take before standing up for yourself, so don’t let them even begin to get comfortable taking advantage of you.

Take Time Off:

If you’re given, for example, 20 days off a year, use all of them. You’re entitled to your vacation time even if you’re not actually going anywhere. It’s okay to take a long weekend just because you want to and taking time off will help prevent burnout.

Find A Group Of People Who Make You Feel Seen:

Finding a group of peers who make you feel seen and able to be yourself is imperative to being comfortable in the workplace. The more comfortable you feel, the more likely you’ll feel okay setting boundaries. Plus, having a group of people to have your back can make advocating for yourself easier.

If setting boundaries in the workplace helps but you’re still feeling like something’s missing, it could be helpful to talk to a professional of color who knows what you’re going through. Book your free consultation with Mayra now at mindplexcity.com/consultation.