Creating Boundaries Leads to Work-Life Balance

Creating work/life balance means harmoniously juggling your professional and personal life while minimizing stress and promoting well-being. It might sound straightforward, but it’s easier said than done.  

This was part of a discussion I had with a group of industry professionals while attending the Clean Buildings Conference. Unanimously, we agreed that a key component to a strong work/life balance is the creation of boundaries. As leaders, this, too, can be challenging.  

Earlier in my career, I didn’t feel I needed boundaries. I had a strong work/life balance. I could leave the office for the day and not think about it again until reporting in the next morning. Then the pandemic hit. We weren’t prepared to work remotely, much less during a time when the demands on the cleaning industry skyrocketed.  

Overnight, my home became my office, my husband and dog became my coworkers, and my work hours doubled. It was difficult to differentiate work from life and it wasn’t long before it took its toll on my mental health. I needed to set some boundaries.  

I started by setting and following a realistic work schedule. I turned off my email notifications and work phone so I wasn’t alerted during off hours. I identified and adhered to healthy boundaries between my work and my personal life. It didn’t take long before my health improved. 

After sharing my experiences with industry pros, I learned that my story isn’t much different from others. The demands on leaders are high and we can find ourselves burning the candle at both ends. But we need to understand our boundaries and we need to set examples for those on our teams. Here are a few suggestions from the leaders I spoke with: 

A healthy work/life balance leads to greater job satisfaction and a more positive and productive work environment. There is no one tried-and-true way to achieve it, but it's clear it starts with boundaries.