Protecting your time and your energy is an important self-care strategy. Healthy boundaries can and should be established when it comes to family, friends, work, and yourself. Here are 5 ways to create those boundaries:

1. Adopt a No Immediate Response policy. When it comes to being ALWAYS accessible, that means people will expect you to respond quickly. It’s ok to put a pause on providing your fast input.
2. Create a Do Not Disturb hour at work. It’s ok to set time aside for focused, heads-down work. Don’t respond to emails or IMs during that blocked hour.
3. Say ‘No’ more often. Your time is precious. And if you are being asked to spend it doing something you don’t absolutely feel the need or desire to do, it’s ok to decline.
4. Detox your friends’ list. In real-life and on social media, removing people that detract from your well-being is totally warranted. No need to let them invade your happiness anymore.
5. Self-regulate to stop bad habits. Utilize a screen time limit. Remove junk food from your desk drawer. Set prompts and reminders to move more. Wind down at the same time each night. Do things that create realistic boundaries for your own health.