The Truth About Boundaries: No One Noticed But Me
For years, I thought that working hard, being constantly available, skipping lunch, and taking on extra projects was the only way to prove my worth at work. I believed that if I just did a little more, I’d be seen as indispensable, valuable, the go-to person. So I did it. I answered emails after dinner, jumped on last-minute projects, and sacrificed my own time—because I thought it mattered.
And then one day, I stopped.
Look its me! Eating Lunch!
I started taking my lunch break. I left work at a reasonable time. I said no to projects that weren’t mine. I closed my laptop after dinner and spent time with my family instead of checking Slack notifications.
And you know what happened? Nothing.
No one noticed.
No one pulled me aside to ask why I wasn’t burning myself out anymore. No one questioned my dedication or my value. My work didn’t suffer. I still got raises. I still got new opportunities. The company didn’t crumble because I stopped working past 7 PM.
The only person who noticed was me.
I noticed how much better I felt when I wasn’t constantly on edge, waiting for the next “urgent” request. I noticed how much more present I was with my family, how much more energy I had, and how I was still doing great at my job—without sacrificing my sanity.
“The only person who noticed was me”
We’re conditioned to believe that overworking is the price of success. That if we just push harder, stay later, and give more, we’ll finally be recognized. But the truth? The bar doesn’t move. If you keep giving more, people will keep taking more. It’s up to you to set the limits.
So if you’ve been afraid to set boundaries at work, I’m here to tell you: Try it.
Take your lunch
Log off on time
Say no when your plate is full
Watch what happens.
Because chances are, no one will notice—but you will.
And that’s the only person who matters.
Want to learn more about boundaries? Listen to our podcast! We have two episodes (10 and 11) about boundaries.
