Here's how you can establish boundaries for a better work-life balance.

Tener claro lo que te importa en la vida y, a partir de esto, desagregar en lo que haces y que no haces, para cultivar lo que te importa.

You can always push back on this too. The words "urgent" and "important" are often thrown out consistently without real consideration about what they mean and whether they truly apply. If your manager has said too many things are urgent and/or important, push back and explain you have a limited amount of time in a day, so you have space to deal with three priorities and would like them to clarify which are the three most important.

Prioritization is heavily connected to people-pleasing and, with that, the value and importance we give to ourselves. Because prioritizing goes beyond productivity—it's about self-worth, self-confidence, and focus. It's not about doing less—it's about doing what you do best as a leader, professional, and human being. So next time, before you say 'yes,' ask yourself: Is this really in EVERYONE's best interest?

Se por um lado a rotina é necessária para conquistar objetivos, ela não permite uma parada para entrar em estado de presença, rever atitudes, comportamentos e hábitos arraigados tanto na vida pessoa quanto profissional. O ideal é que quebrar rotinas também faça parte da rotina. construa e quebre suas rotinas da mesma forma que troca de roupa. Crie a rotina de quebrar sua rotina e vai descobrir que essa atitude o conduzirá para muito mais perto de si mesmo e da realização dos seus sonhos.

Identify Your Limits Recognize what you can realistically handle without compromising your well-being. Set clear limits on your work hours, tasks, and responsibilities. AND Communicate Your Boundaries Openly communicate your boundaries to your employer, colleagues, and family members. Ensure everyone understands your needs and expectations.

Um Prioritäten zu setzen, ist es essenziell, in Kontakt mit sich selbst zu treten. Ein tiefer Selbstzugang ermöglicht es, eigene Wünsche von fremden klar zu unterscheiden und damit Alienation zu reduzieren. Dies lässt sich durch regelmäßige Entspannungsphasen, bewusste Auszeiten und Achtsamkeitsübungen erreichen. Solche Praktiken helfen dabei, innere Klarheit zu gewinnen und fokussiert Entscheidungen zu treffen, die den eigenen Zielen und Werten entsprechen. Nur so kann man effektiv Prioritäten setzen und ein authentisches, erfülltes Leben führen.

Prioritizing is also about deciding what NOT to do. Team leaders need to ask themselves: what are the things only they can do that are critically important to the team? Do those, and let the team handle the rest.

Healthy habits ,sleeping patterns ,daily little rewards, team work, balancing schedule with personal life, analysing risks and proceed diligently with adequately answers, being comprehensive ,focus more on solution solving are few of important skills in leadership coaching that I practice daily. Sometimes the exit of comfort zone may be an practical key to exploring avenues of learning, improving and mastering an outstanding mindset, depending upon each case. One of my logo(s) is :never give up, the world needs you. Knowledge is powerful indeed, what you do with it becomes a Masterpiece.

Utilise the technology you have too. Plan out your calendar (you can colour-code for easy reading e.g. Green = I'm free, Amber = Only available if it's important, Red = Not available), and share that calendar with everyone in your team and your manager. You'll show excellent time management skills and give others the opportunity to come to you when you have said you are free. Clear and easy communication for all.

Klare Kommunikation setzt voraus, dass man seine eigenen Bedürfnisse gut kennt. Dies bedeutet, in sich hineinzuspüren und den eigenen Emotionen nachzugehen. So lässt sich herausfinden, inwieweit sich ein Auftrag von anderen "richtig" anfühlt. Erst dann sind klare Abgrenzungen oder ein freudiges "Ja" möglich. Indem man sich dieser inneren Prozesse bewusst wird, kann man authentisch und eindeutig kommunizieren, was sowohl Missverständnisse reduziert als auch Beziehungen stärkt.

Boundaries come in many forms but people aren't mind-readers. Once you've established where you need your boundary to be, uphold it and maintain it. As Laura has said, colour-coding your calendar is a great start and you'll need to be firm because there will always be those say "I know it says DND in your calendar, but this is just a quick one". Using a conditional 'No' is going to be essential. No until, no unless, you get the idea. And remember Tony Gaskin's wise words "You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop and what you reinforce". When you cave, you're teaching people that your boundaries aren't really important

Set Clear Expectations Establish clear expectations around your work schedule, response times, and availability. This includes setting boundaries around email, phone, and social media use. AND Prioritize Self-Care Schedule time for activities that nourish your mind, body, and spirit, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones.

Using my example above of colour-coding calendars (e.g. Green = I'm free, Amber = Only available if it's important, Red = Not available), during your red and amber times, turn all notifications off and close all apps that aren't involved with the task you're doing. 'Do not disturb' settings don't always get the message across, so remove any chance of being disturbed yourself. At the end of the day, leave all work-related technology at work. There is no reason to take it home. Only you can take control of that.

Learn to Say No Be comfortable saying "no" to requests that encroach on your personal time or compromise your well-being. Offer alternative solutions or delegate tasks when possible. AND Establish a "Work-Free" Zone Designate a specific area or time as a "work-free" zone, where you can fully disconnect from work-related tasks.

Working virtually tends to lend itself to multiple interruptions, especially if you use platforms such as MS Teams. Consider using your work calendar to block out time so that others do not disturb your thought process while working on critical assignments or projects. I have also found that this works for special lunch appointments that I use to conduct personal errands. By allocating space on your work schedule and letting others know that you do not wish to be disturbed, you create a protective barrier around your workflow, allowing the needed time to complete things according to your personal plan.

We can use phone features (like bedtime mode, do not disturb, etc.) to help us manage our use of technology. We can even use alarms to remind us to wind down, step away from work, etc. Putting our downtime into our calendar is another way to remind us. This also blocks out the time so that work things are less likely to take up the time. However, technology will not help unless we first work on our mindset. If I am not willing to set boundaries and then respect those boundaries, I will ignore whatever technology solutions that I have set up.

Take Breaks and Practice Self-Compassion Take regular breaks and practice self-compassion when needed. Remember that taking care of yourself is not a luxury, but a necessity. AND Set Boundaries with Technology Establish boundaries around technology use, such as not checking work emails or messages during non-work hours.

Communicate with those who you regularly engage with letting them know you are taking time off. Make sure people covering know what to do while you are gone, if something happens out of the norm and who to contact if something does happen. Communicate when people need to contact you and how if you have an executive or VP level position. Be as prepared as possible before you leave for vacation and try to predict things that may happen while you are away that way you can enjoy time off.

Your mindset is the most crucial aspect of this step. Acknowledging that work is only one small part of your very big life is a great start and allows you to accept that the rest of your life is important too. It also supports you to leave work at work, including all technology, so you can truly switch off, and set that expectation with all colleagues in the organisation that once you are off the clock, you are not available.

As an introvert, taking sufficient time to recharge and replenish is essential. This includes time during the day for mini-recharges that enable me to keep doing my best work. If I'm sat on my own during lunch, or headed off on a walk, I'm not lonely, so please don't feel the need to "keep me company". Introverts recharge quietly or in companionable silence. Please respect that.

Seek Support Build a support network of colleagues, friends, and family members who respect your boundaries and can offer help when needed. AND Review and Adjust Regularly review your boundaries and make adjustments as needed. Life is dynamic, and your boundaries may need to shift to accommodate changing circumstances.

Build up your discipline by deciding in advance that you will not do any work-related stuff during off-time (e.g. read emails/messages, etc.), then stick to it. It will be hard in the beginning, but you will get the hang of it eventually. It's also helpful to think of what you will do instead, i.e. what you will do instead of reading emails/messages. Similarly, you will also have to respect your colleagues' off-time.

More people need support to stay accountable than they realise. This why many leaders have coaches and mentors to assist them in doing so. This will include working through your own thoughts and feelings to build boundaries and routines that fit you and feel good, as well as how you are communicating with others about the expectations you've put in place, among other things. If you need the support to do that, go and find it! Better to have support and succeed feeling good, than try to go it alone and struggle.

Find a few like-minded colleagues to do it together. You can share tips and ideas about what to do, encourage one another, and hold each other accountable.

Boundaries are not just for time. Other aspects include 1. Our intellect - our thoughts, our beliefs, our opinions. 2. Our emotions or feelings 3. The physical boundary - the space we occupy, and I like so many introverts get grumpy when somebody encroaches on my personal space. 4. The social boundaries; how we prefer to spend our own time including breaks 5. Our spiritual boundary. Spend time getting clear on them all as they are important to a balanced life.