What Does It Mean to Set Boundaries?

Think of your life as a pie chart and imagine a section for each of the important areas of your life. These will include work, volunteering, rest, family, relationships, etc. Setting boundaries means putting fences around each of these important aspects of your life and then maintaining them. Without these boundaries you may find that you devote too much time to one aspect at the expense of others and your life becomes out-of-balance.

Why Are Boundaries Important in Pet Welfare?

If you work in the animal welfare industry, it’s important to set boundaries. Because compassion fatigue and burnout are so prevalent in the animal welfare industry, boundaries are essential. The desire to help your animal charges may take on unexpected urgency, and setting boundaries is a part of a good self care plan.  

It’s difficult to set boundaries when there are so many animals in need. But there is only one of you, and you can only do so much. It’s up to you to take care of yourself so you can continue to help the animals you love.  Learning to say no is a key to setting and maintaining boundaries.

When to Set Boundaries

In the animal welfare industry, workers are often asked to go above and beyond. For instance, you may be asked to take on just one more client, one more project, or one more foster. You may be asked to stay late, come in early, and come in on your days off. 

Perhaps you’re not even being asked, but you recognize the need, and it’s difficult to ignore it. However, the key to setting good boundaries is to learn how to say no—to yourself, your supervisor, or your organization—when you are called to stretch yourself thin.

Saying, "No," is difficult for many people. However, the following strategies will make this easier.

Strategies for Setting Boundaries

Buy Time to Respond

Before you answer definitively if someone asks you to take on more responsibility, buy yourself some time. Here are some effective ways to do that. 

Say one of the following:

• "Let me get back to you on that."

• "I’ll have to look at my schedule and email you back."

• "I’d love to help but let me talk to my (partner, roommate, parent)."

• "I need to take care of this important thing first (insert your own important thing)."

Take Your Time

Once you have bought yourself some time, take all the time you need to formalize a response. Don't feel pressured to answer quickly. Take 24 hours to contemplate your schedule, check your activities calendar, and discuss the request with your family, if necessary. Decide whether you want to take on this new responsibility instead of feeling pressured to accept the burden. 

Respond By Email

If you decide that you don't want the added responsibility, respond using email. This gives you the time to formulate a response in writing and the space to say what you want without the immediate pressure of the person on the other end of the phone.

Even when you know you need to, saying, "No" is sometimes still difficult for many people.

Below are some tips for declining graciously:

• "I’ve thought about it, and although I want to,  I just can’t make it work right now."

• "My schedule is full right now, but I’d be happy to add you to my waiting list."

• "I can’t come in today, but I can come in early tomorrow (adjust to work for you)."

• "I’ll need to clear some things off my plate before I take on anymore."

Be a Boundary-setting  Example in Your Workplace.

Encourage others to set boundaries. While it’s important to maintain our own boundaries, it’s also important to respect others' boundaries. Learn to listen to what boundaries sound like and support the person setting them. It benefits everyone to build a culture where people respect and support their coworkers' boundaries.

f you are an animal welfare worker who needs help setting boundaries,, establishing life balance, or practicing self care, contact Carrie Raap at R+ Therapy in Tucson, AZ. Carrie is an online therapist with more than 20 years experience. Her therapeutic specialties include compassion fatigue, relationships, depression, and anxiety. She has numerous credentials, including a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) and a license in clinical social work (LCSW). She is KPA-certified as a professional dog trainer and uses animal-assisted therapy to help clients. Learn more about compassion fatigue by watching her free webinar on the subject, or contact her for a free introductory consultation. If you would like Carrie to come present at your organization on  a mental health topic contact her.