04/01/2026

ON SUNDAY January 4, 2026 theSunday Special VII

At work, saying no might feel rebellious. But boundaries exist to protect your well-being and sanity. Learn to reclaim your time and thrive beyond the grind BY AQILAH NAJWA JAMALUDDIN Boundaries in the workplace

The golden rule? Keep things balanced and professional. Maintain friendly rap SRUW \HV EXW UHVHUYH GHHSHU SHUVRQDO connections for outside your immediate WHDP

\RX FRPSOHWH ZRUN RQ WLPH DYRLG ODVW minute scrambles and allocate breathing room for other projects. D RFXPHQWLQJ \RXU SULRULWLHV DOVR JLYHV \RX OHYHUDJH LW VHUYHV DV FRQFUHWH SURRI for your leaders and upper management. It shows that you cannot take on extra work unless your current responsibilities DUH IXO¿OOHG “ 'RFXPHQWLQJ \RXU ZRUNORDG SURYLGHV concrete reasons for declining extra tasks and boundaries should be framed as a way to protect performance, e.g. ‘If I take this on, X will be delayed, which would D̆ HFW WKH WHDP¶V WLPHOLQH ¶ 7KLV PDNHV refusal less personal,” Sharifah explained. She also emphasised that if leadership refuses to respect those boundaries, it may be time to plan your exit – without support from the top, sustaining long WHUP ZHOOEHLQJ LV H[WUHPHO\ GL̇ FXOW 3. Keep it professional, not personal The phrase “we’re like a family” might sound comforting, but in the workplace, LW VKRXOG UDLVH D UHG ÀDJ %HWZHHQ ZRUN and family, the lines should not blur. This may be an uncomfortable truth, but it’s one worth addressing. O I FRXUVH LW¶V QDWXUDO WR GHYHORS friendships at work, especially with GHVN PDWHV RU FROOHDJXHV \RX VHH HYHU\ GD\ %XW RYHUVKDULQJ SHUVRQDO LVVXHV can complicate professional dynamics. Work relationships are often layered and, at times, fragile. What starts as camaraderie can shift quickly, especially under pressure. R HYHDOLQJ WRR PXFK SHUVRQDO LQIRUPD tion to someone you do business with is rarely wise. If the relationship sours, WKHUH¶V D ULVN WKDW SULYDWH GHWDLOV FRXOG be used to undermine your reputation or position.

I T’S perfectly normal to dread returning to work after a blissful ZHHNHQG %XW LI \RX ¿QG \RXUVHOI spiralling into a full-blown melt down by Sunday morning, wishing time would freeze before midnight hits, you’re not just tired, you could be experi encing workplace stress or worse, trauma. In Malaysia, 67% of the workforce now reports feeling burnt out. That’s up from 58% in 2022, according to the 2024 Wellness at Work Report . Meanwhile, 70% of Malaysian employees say they VX̆ HU IURP LOOQHVVHV WLHG WR ULVLQJ OHYHOV of work stress. M RUH RIWHQ WKDQ QRW WKLV OHYHO RI emotional exhaustion isn’t just about KDYLQJ WRR PXFK ZRUN ,W¶V DERXW KDYLQJ too few boundaries. When work spills LQWR \RXU HYHQLQJV \RXU ZHHNHQGV DQG HYHQ \RXU WKRXJKWV ZKLOH EUXVKLQJ \RXU WHHWK VRPHWKLQJ KDV WR JLYH I I \RX¶UH FRQVWDQWO\ DYDLODEOH HQGOHVVO\ reachable and always saying yes, you’re not setting yourself up for success – you’re setting yourself up for collapse. In the long run, you could be edging into depression and emotional dysregula tion. I W GRHVQ¶W KDYH WR EH WKLV ZD\ +HUH¶V KRZ WR HVWDEOLVK ERXQGDULHV WKDW VHUYH you, reclaim your time and protect your peace without apologising for it. 1. Boundaries start with clear communication Good communication isn’t just important in personal relationships. In the work place, it’s essential. Setting boundaries

begins with clarity – be honest about what you will tolerate and what you won’t, then stay consistent. For instance, if your manager asks you WR WDNH RQ H[WUD WDVNV RYHU WKH ZHHNHQG don’t be afraid to assert that your time is UHVHUYHG IRU IDPLO\ RU SHUVRQDO SULRULWLHV State it clearly and respectfully. “Employees need to feel empowered to set boundaries. They should not respond to non-urgent messages after hours and make deliberate choices about when and how to engage, while keeping colleagues and managers informed about their workload and capacity,” said Sharifah +DQL

Boundaries are not about doing less work – they are about protecting your wellbeing and sustaining performance.”

Sharifah