Leaving treatment and transitioning back into daily life activities such as work or school can be stressful. Now that you are navigating a sober life, you must know how to properly set boundaries to maintain your sobriety. Getting too stressed by work can be a relapse trigger, so it is crucial to set boundaries before this can happen. By developing and upholding boundaries at the workplace, you can set yourself up for success upon your return to work in recovery. Learning ways to set boundaries at work can help you protect yourself, your mental health, and your sobriety.
To set boundaries at work, you must first understand what is important to you and what you want to protect. First and foremost, your recovery should take a front-row seat on your list of priorities, but you should also consider other aspects of your life that you want to protect from work. These can include family time, personal hobbies, or anything else outside of work that is important to you. From here, you can begin developing boundaries that will allow you to enjoy these things without work spilling over into that time.
You cannot expect others to know your boundaries if you do not communicate them. However, you can also avoid being steamrolled by clearly communicating your boundaries to your coworkers and your boss. If you cannot work overtime or do not want to be contacted about work after hours, lay this out very clearly and uphold that boundary. This way, people will know what to expect of you and your time and not take advantage of you.
It is crucial to have an ally at work when it comes to upholding your boundaries and making sure others understand them; this can be your deskmate or even the human resources representative. These people can help you work around certain boundaries you need to uphold. Talking to your human resources representative can also help you get support while you are in recovery, so it is essential to be honest with them about what you can and cannot do while still working towards sobriety.
Just as it is crucial to set boundaries at work, you also need to set boundaries at home to ensure your work doesn’t spill over into your home life. Turn your email notifications off after a particular hour so you can be present in your home life rather than continually chasing after-work responsibilities. It is also essential to show your family that you are there to spend time with them, especially after any wrongdoings you may have caused in your addiction. When you show up for your family, you have a better chance of mending relationships.
While you may not come across people crossing your boundaries, it is essential to be prepared for when it does happen. Have a plan in mind for when someone does violate your boundaries to ensure you do not react at the moment, as this can result in negative consequences if you lash out at your boss or another coworker. Take a breath and remember your action plan for when this occurs so you can work to uphold your boundaries without being rude.
Your boundaries mean nothing if you let people repeatedly violate them. If someone breaks a boundary, call them on it; this does not mean you have to be rude. However, be sure to clearly state at the moment what your boundary is and ask them to respect it. Your boundaries only have power if you uphold them in the moment rather than backtracking sometime later and telling the person. Maintaining your boundaries is the best way to ensure you are taken seriously and that they are not crossed.
Your friendships at work should be entirely professional to avoid any potential trouble or drama. Doing this will help reduce your stress level and avoid running the risk of being sucked into workplace drama. Keeping work relationships at work may be difficult, but it is worth it in the long run.
Just as it is not healthy to have your work-life spill into your home life, it is also not healthy to be always working. A boundary you should have is taking time for yourself to ensure you are as productive as possible. Doing this will help you avoid burnout, which is another common relapse trigger. Discuss the options for this with your boss and explain the benefits of taking time off. This way, you can maintain your mental capacity for work and look after your overall mental health and recovery.
Recovery is all about setting boundaries in the various areas of your life to protect your healing journey and sobriety. One of the most important places to set boundaries in your newfound sober life is at work. Establishing and upholding boundaries at work will keep you from getting too overwhelmed and maintain your sobriety as a priority. It may be difficult at first if you are not used to standing up for yourself, but learning how to develop and uphold boundaries at your workplace can keep you on track. You can find the help you need during this process at Northstar Transitions, as we offer educational programs to teach you how to navigate real-life recovery once you leave our facility. We want you to be successful in the world and can assist you during this time. To learn more about life after treatment, call NorthStar Transitions today at (303) 558-6400.
