The 6 Things You Should Never Sacrifice for Your JobNo Matter What

The 6 Things You Should Never Sacrifice for Your JobNo Matter WhatThe 6 Things You Should Never Sacrifice for Your Job- No Matter WhatThe typical workday is long enough as it is, and technology is making it even longer. When you do finally get home from a full day at the office, your mobile phone rings off the hook, and emails drop into your inbox from people who expect immediate responses.While most people claim to disconnect as soon as they get home, recent research says otherwise. A study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that more than 50% of us check work email before and after work hours, throughout the weekend, and even when were sick. Even worse, 44% of us check work email while on vacation.A Northern Illinois University study that came out this summer shows just how bad this level of connection really is. The study found that the expectation that people need to respond to emails during off-work hours produces a prolonged stress response, which the res earchers named telepressure. Telepressure ensures that you are never able to relax and truly disengage from work. This prolonged state of stress is terrible for your health. Besides increasing your risk of heart disease, depression, and obesity, stress decreases your cognitive performance.We need to establish boundaries between our personal and professional lives. When we dont, our work, our health, and our personal lives suffer.Responding to emails during off-work hours isnt the only area in which you need to set boundaries. You need to make the critical distinction between what belongs to your employer and what belongs to you and you only. The items that follow are yours. If you dont set boundaries around them and learn to say no to your boss, youre giving away something with immeasurable value.1. Your HealthIts difficult to know when to set boundaries around your health at work because the decline is so gradual. Allowing stress to build up, losing sleep, and sitting all day witho ut exercising all add up. Before you know it, youre rubbing your aching back with one hand and your zombie-like eyes with the other, and youre looking down at your newly acquired belly. The key here is to not let things sneak up on you, and the way you do that is by keeping a consistent routine. Think about what you need to do to keep yourself healthy (taking walks during lunch, not working weekends, taking your vacations as scheduled), make a plan, and stick to it no matter what. If you dont, youre allowing your work to overstep its bounds.2. Your FamilyIts easy to let your family suffer for your work. Many of us do this because we see our jobs as a means of maintaining our families. We have thoughts such as I need to make more money so that my kids can go to college debt-free. Though these thoughts are well-intentioned, they can burden your family with the biggest debt of all- a lack of quality time with you. When youre on your deathbed, you wont remember how much money you made f or your spouse and kids. Youll remember the memories you created with them.3. Your SanityWhile we all have our own levels of this to begin with, you dont owe a shred of it to your employer. A job that takes even a small portion of your sanity is taking more than its entitled to. Your sanity is something thats difficult for your boss to keep track of. You have to monitor it on your own and set good limits to keep yourself healthy. Often, its your life outside of work that keeps you sane. When youve already put in a good days (or weeks) worth of work and your boss wants more, the most productive thing you can do is say no, and then go and enjoy your friends and hobbies. This way, you return to work refreshed and de-stressed. You certainly can work extra hours if you want to, but its important to be able to say no to your boss when you need time away from work.4. Your IdentityWhile your work is an important parte of your identity, its dangerous to allow your work to become your whole i dentity. You know youve allowed this to go too far when you reflect on whats important to you and work is all that (or most of what) comes to mind. Having an identity outside of work is about more than just having fun. It also helps you relieve stress, grow as a person, and avoid burnout.5. Your ContactsWhile you do owe your employer your best effort, you certainly dont owe him or her the contacts youve developed over the course of your career. Your contacts are a product of your hard work and effort, and while you might share them with your company, they belong to you.6. Your IntegritySacrificing your integrity causes you to experience massive amounts of stress. Once you realize that your actions and beliefs are no longer in alignment, its time to make it clear to your employer that youre not willing to do things his or her way. If thats a problem for your boss, it might be time to part ways.Bringing it All TogetherSuccess and fulfillment often depend upon your ability to set good boundaries. Once you can do this, everything else just falls into place.More From Inc.If Your Boss Is Pushing You Too Hard, This Might Be Why5 Reasons to Stop Apologizing and Ask for What You Deserve5 Essential Tips for Finding a Work-Life Balance