(un)Available: Boundaries at Work

I love my job. It is fun, challenging, and rewarding. Most days I have an intense sense of “rightness” that I am exactly where God would have me to be. For a long time I longed for a job like this and thought it would mean I no longer needed to think about things like balance, boundaries, and rest. My work is life-giving so why would I need to intentionally add life-giving habits into my life apart from my job? 

That false assumption could have derailed my work and sent me away from this position. We are built for rest. If the all-powerful Creator of the Universe needed to rest on the seventh day, why do I believe that I am any different? Asking myself that question has unlocked something inside of me so that rest no longer feels like a privilege but rather a preparation for the work I am called to do. 

Boundaries. Balance. Rest. After approaching burnout more times than I care to admit, I have had to reinfuse these words with meaning. Through coffee shop meetings with mentors, long conversations with the Lord, reading, and listening to podcasts I have found implementing boundaries takes permission and purpose. I am aware of the irony that it took me a lot of work to figure out how to not work. It’s a problem. 

I need to grant myself the freedom to rest regularly and often. I struggle with guilt, shame, and not meeting others' expectations. I need to surrender those things before I can rest in fullness. I have also found that making decisions about what will rejuvenate and recharge is exhausting. I need to know what to do before I enter my time of rest so that I actually rest.

First things first, permission. It was important for me to acknowledge within myself that my lack of rest was a problem that needed to be addressed so that I could be who God was calling me to be. It was equally important to have a work environment that celebrated rest. I found, once I started opening up about this struggle with my coworkers, that we were all working to incorporate rest into our lives. However, even when I was in roles where I didn’t have this level of support, I still needed to carve out that time. In those seasons, unfortunately, it took fatigue and a lack of motivation to push me toward rest. As I have aged and found myself in a position I love, I am trying to proactively seek rest rather than waiting until the need is past due. 

Now, for the purpose. If you work with your mind, sabbath with your hands. If you work with your hands, sabbath with your mind. These words are often attributed to Abraham Joshua Heschel, a rabbi who is an expert on the command to Sabbath.I interpret his words to mean that the boundaries I implement and the rest I seek should be a different rhythm and way of being from what I do on a daily basis. 

I have a loud, people focused job that uses a lot of mental and emotional energy. In my downtime, I need tasks that are focused on quiet, exercising my body, and completing practical tasks. I cook and bake, I sometimes clean, I often go for a walk, and I am determined to spend time away from the students I love so dearly. The only way this extrovert can have the well she needs to sustain the work she is called to is by spending time away from the work.

This is a lesson I, unfortunately, need to learn repeatedly. So, much so, that I tattooed a reminder on my wrist. “Be Still.” Like the words from Psalm 46, this is my very tangible reminder that to be still is to be more like God. This is my reminder that God Himself is delighted in our rest and rejuvenation. 

Annastasia Bonczyk is Resident Director of the Lodges at Indiana Wesleyan University. She’s frequently found in conversation at coffee shop tables, especially at McConn and The Branch. Annastasia loves a good sunset, Sunday afternoon baking, and popular culture. In her work she specializes in conversations around spiritual formation, discernment, and leadership and professional development.