Studies show that the more you work, the less productive you become. Our minds and our bodies work best when we limit how much we do. Although it seems counter-intuitive, those extra hours you are putting in at work aren't doing anyone any good.

Americans work the most hours of any other G-7 nation, but they are by no means the most productive. That honor goes to France, which not only works the fewest hours of all the nations, but also mandates an incredible 36 days of annual leave.

Yet until real change is made, most management expects a good employee to take work home, be available for every call and email, and generally devote themselves to their work. The end result is burn out. You can protect yourself from burning out at work by learning how to set boundaries.

What are healthy boundaries?

Healthy boundaries allow you to be your best at work, and leave that work at home when you are done with it. If at any time you feel you are forced to take a bucket of work home with you and stay up late to get it done, you may be having a boundary issue.

Many coworkers can be pushy about delegating tasks from their own work to you, or coming to you to help resolve their problems. If your first instinct is always to help, there will always be more problems.

Saying no is difficult, especially if you set boundaries after more permissive ones have already been established.

Start with your coworkers

Confronting your boss is a lot more difficult than dealing with coworkers, so start establishing your boundaries with those who are not directly over you. Your boss should be your only boss. If you find yourself constantly stopped by people needing help and you are busy at the time, ask them to send you an e-mail about it so you can get back to it in your own time.

Respect your own hours

If you are off the clock, you don't need to be working. That means not responding to e-mails or texts off the clock. Don't bring your work computer or work home. Don't work during hours you are not being paid to work.

This should also extend to your coworkers. If you do choose to work a late night one time, don't send them e-mails or other communications outside of their working hours. Schedule emails so they send during office hours, so that they aren't repeating this cycle themselves.

Communicate

Your coworkers or boss may be a bit surprised if you suddenly have boundaries in place. Let them know what you are doing and why. Be clear that you are not snubbing them, but that you simply want to avoid burnout. By being clear, you can get through new boundaries with as few ruffled feathers as possible, and perhaps set a new standard as well.

Boundaries are critically important for your health, and the health of your coworkers too.