3 Steps to Setting Work Boundaries

How DO you set boundaries at work? This is much easier said than done, but this is the process I've used to successfully set boundaries in the workplace. Below I'm using the example of not having work email on my phone, but any boundary can be set with these 3 steps.
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1. Know Your Triggers - Think about what stresses you out at work. I noticed that when I got new work email in the evening through my phone that I would drop everything and start working until I looked at the clock and realized it was time to go to bed. I decided I needed to set a clear boundary of keeping work email at work, and took it off of my phone. There was no reason I needed to address those things that evening, nothing was more urgent than my time to recharge.
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2. Set up structure; Talk to your manager and colleagues - When you make a decision like taking work email off of your phone, it's important to make sure everyone knows that, especially if you've already set a precedent that you check work email in the evening. Explain why it's a been difficult for you and how you came to the decision, and what that means. This particular conversation about not work email was best done at the beginning of a role - "hey, just so you know, I have a personal policy of not having work email on my phone as I have a hard time not looking at it and then feeling burnt out later. If something is really an emergency, you can always text me." If they take issue with it early on, it may be a sign that this isn't the healthiest role for you or you can work with them on a compromise if appropriate.
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3. Enforce your boundaries - This is the hardest part if you aren't used to setting and holding boundaries. You've identified this as something that is important to you and now you need to protect it. Once you respond to that work email on off hours, the boundary needs to be reset and it will be more difficult. If someone sends you an email late at night and clearly expected you to respond promptly, repair and restate your boundary. You may find that your boundary evolves over time, if that's the case, keep the conversation with your manager and teammates open.