If you use these 3 phrases you have healthier boundaries at work than most employees

Almost half, 44%, of workers report feeling burned out, according to a 2024 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. One way to keep your job from draining you is to set boundaries around who you interact with and what tasks you take on.

Of course, this can be hard to execute. Telling a boss "no" to a new project seems impossible. And shutting down a conversation with a toxic co-worker can be perceived as rude.

There are ways to conserve your energy that still help you appear like an amenable co-worker and employee. Here are three phrases that can help you set healthy boundaries at work and come off as a team player.

1. 'Yes and ... '

If your boss consistently asks you to take on tasks for which you don't have the bandwidth, it's okay to say "no" sometimes, Brandon Smith, a therapist and career coach known as The Workplace Therapist, told CNBC Make It.

You'll want to mask that "no" as a "yes," though. To do this, start your reply with "Yes, and …"

After the "and," state that it can't be done right away. He offers up the following example:

"Yes, and I can get to that in a couple weeks."

If your boss says they need the task done quicker, alert them to all the other to-do's on your list. You can say: "Yes and I just need to get to these other tasks. Unless you want me to prioritize this."

Now, you're demonstrating how you're an asset to the team, and communicating that right now is not the best time to put more on your plate.

2. 'I've got something to get to.'

We all have to sit through meetings that aren't useful to us. If you are on a deadline or have an overwhelming amount of work to do, these meetings can be extra frustrating.

Robert I. Sutton, an organizational psychologist and professor at Stanford University, has a counterintuitive solution if you find yourself stuck in a pointless meeting: just leave.

He does this, he says, at least once a week. "Just smile and say 'I've got something to get to,'" he told CNBC Make It. It's unlikely that anyone will question you.

3. 'I'm sorry I only have 5 minutes to chat.'

Unfiltered, chatty co-workers can suck up your time and derail your day. If they are negative or burden you with complaints, interacting with them can be extra exhausting.

"If you have a colleague who overshares and dumps their personal life on you and you don't have time for that say, 'I'm so sorry I only have 5 minutes to chat,'" Smith says.

If you need to collaborate with a co-worker who often meanders off topic, show up to the meeting with an agenda, he suggests: "Come right out the gate and say 'I'd like to talk about this thing.' Keep redirecting them back to a topic that is within your [professional] boundaries."

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