Tarveen Forrester

It's extremely uncomfortable.

We know this, so I'm going to give you a few examples of how you can do this.

The first could sound something like, I'd love to help with that, but I only have 30 minutes today.

Is that enough time to get us started?

Or it could be, thank you so much for the invite, but I already have plans.

Or maybe it's, Mrs. Manager, this project sounds so exciting, but I'm already at capacity.

I'm happy to help with this, but I will need to shift and reprioritize my deadlines.

Now, when we first start to say no, it will be extremely uncomfortable, kind of cringe, you're probably going to feel guilty.

This is natural.

When this happens, I want you to remember, your work, your life and your relationships will never set boundaries for you.

It's up to you to create them.

After all, only you know your limits, your potential and your needs.

Starting to leverage clear communication as a resource and a tool will contribute to a higher performing and more sustainable version of you.

So to bring us full circle, the hustle culture that we've been entrenched in for too long is being taken over by a generation of workers that are prioritizing work-life balance.

The Gen Zs have completely run away from the hustle culture, yet the millennials are still stuck in it.

It's two sides of a spectrum.

But what if the sweet spot is actually in the middle?

This means we hustle when we need to, because goals do require hard work.

And we prioritize balance and boundaries when we need to, because we must rest, recharge and reconnect with others.

A life with boundaries is a sustainable one.