I Drew the Line—and It Changed Everything

You know that moment when something just snaps? When you realize you’ve been silently swallowing things that should never have made it past your lips in the first place?

That moment came for me on a rainy Tuesday evening while I sat staring at my laptop at 10:47 PM. I’d just sent off a presentation I was expected to finish… not during office hours, but after dinner, after my body was begging for rest, after I should’ve been tucked under a blanket with a book or Netflix or even just blissful silence.

Let me rewind a bit.

I used to be the “yes” girl. The one who was praised for her “can-do” attitude. The one who stayed late, showed up early, and filled in gaps no one else even noticed. That’s who I thought I had to be to survive in the corporate jungle. But I didn’t see it then, the jungle was slowly swallowing me whole.

Boundaries? I didn’t know her.

At first, the cracks were small. Colleagues asking overly personal questions. “Are you married yet?” “You look tired, was it a rough night?” “Who’s that guy in your WhatsApp status?”
I laughed it off. I thought if I answered nicely, they’d back off. Spoiler alert: They didn’t.

Then came the inappropriate comments. The kind that hides behind a smirk and a half-hearted “I’m just joking.” One coworker would lean a little too close. Another once commented, in front of a client no less, “You’re way too pretty to be this smart. Dangerous combo.” I froze, laughed awkwardly, and changed the subject. Inside, I was screaming.

But it didn’t stop there.

One day, I found out that a colleague had presented my ideas, the ones I’d worked on during my “voluntary” weekend hours, as his own. When I confronted him, he smirked and said, “It’s all team effort, right?”  

Team effort my ass.

That was the turning point.

I was burned out, furious, and honestly, heartbroken. Not just at them. At me. Because I had let it happen. I thought if I was nice, agreeable, and “valuable,” they’d respect me. But value without boundaries? That’s exploitation wrapped in a compliment.

I had to relearn how to exist in the workplace. And that started with understanding boundaries.

Workplace boundaries are the invisible lines that protect your well-being, time, and integrity. They’re the rules you set for how others treat you and how you treat yourself.

There are different types of boundaries we don’t often name, but let me break down the key ones that saved my sanity:

  1. Time Boundaries
  • Saying no to after-hours emails and weekend work 
  • Setting clear availability hours and protecting your downtime like it’s sacred. Because it is.
  1. Emotional Boundaries
  • Refusing to be the office therapist unless you signed up for that.
  • Not taking on other people’s moods, tantrums, or unresolved trauma as your burden.
  1. Physical Boundaries
  • Your body is your space. Nobody gets to invade it, ever. That includes unwanted touching, comments on your appearance, or anything that makes your skin crawl.
  1. Intellectual Boundaries
  • Your ideas, your voice, your brilliance deserve respect. Plagiarism and idea theft are not “collaboration”, they’re violations.
  1. Personal Boundaries
    • You are not obligated to share your private life with colleagues.
  • You don’t owe anyone explanations about your relationship, lifestyle, or plans for the 

 

Once I started setting boundaries, something magical happened, I slept better. I spoke up more. I gained respect. The people who were offended by my boundaries? They were the ones benefiting from my lack of them.

Now, I don’t apologize for protecting my peace. I don’t work for free. I don’t engage in office gossip or tolerate creepy comments. And my ideas? I put them in writing, I present them myself, and I own them.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “That’s me. That’s happening to me right now,”, you’re not alone. And no, you’re not overreacting. You’re waking up.

Boundaries aren’t walls. They’re doors, with locks. You decide who gets access, how much, and when. And guess what? That’s not rude. That’s wise.

You deserve a workplace that respects your time, body, mind, and energy.

Start drawing the line. And don’t be afraid to make it bold.