A late-night message, one more “small favour”, a day off that keeps being interrupted. Work boundaries often erode through small exceptions that slowly become the rule.

Fear of appearing difficult can make you agree before checking whether you genuinely have capacity. Over time, silent overload affects both work and life outside it.

A boundary can be professional and specific: when you can respond, what has priority and what needs to be renegotiated.

Not every workplace is equally safe for boundary-setting. Realism matters, but so does recognising the cost when an exception becomes permanent.