It’s not always easy to say “no” at work, yet there are many advantages to setting boundaries with colleagues and superiors. Employees who find it difficult to do so might do well to try “intentional inflexibility”.

Intentional inflexibility involves setting limits at work, by rigorously prioritising the tasks in your to-do lists to avoid getting sidetracked, or by setting specific time slots during which you don’t respond to the digital solicitations you receive.

Between noisy colleagues and the flow of SMS, emails and other instant messages, concentration is often sorely tested at the office. Employees often have to juggle different tasks and means of communication simultaneously.

This way of working is cognitively demanding, as our brains react badly to multitasking. It is also professionally destabilising: working people who are regularly interrupted can quickly feel overwhelmed, which can impact their mental health.

Practising intentional inflexibility allows you to regain more control over your working time. This means defining your day according to your own priorities, rather than constantly bowing to the demands of others. Feel free, for example, to decline an invitation to attend a meeting if you really have no place being there.

Whether held online or in person, company meetings are all too often a waste of time for those who take part in them. Nearly 80% of employees surveyed by the Australian software company Atlassian report that attending meetings prevents them from getting on with other, often far more urgent, tasks.

The feeling of not being sufficiently productive at work can be very demotivating. Of course, there are times when we’re less efficient than others, particularly around vacations – but these times are meant to be temporary, not permanent.

The problem is made all the more insidious by the fact that being “super busy” at work is often viewed positively, even if this has consequences for workers’ health.

To prevent this, boundaries at work need to be clearly communicated to your colleagues and superiors. Don’t just state your limits: explain why you need them. Making it clear that you’re not available at a given time probably won’t stop you receiving messages or calls from colleagues.

When this happens, address the issue head-on and be educational in your approach.

Of course, it’s easier to be firm with your office co-workers than with your manager or other superiors. Yet it’s necessary to do so to foster healthy working relationships and protect your personal wellbeing.

If you don’t feel comfortable saying “no” to your manager, use roundabout ways of letting them know that you have other priorities. For example, if they ask you to deal with a complicated issue right away, while you have two other equally urgent tasks on the go, explain the situation.

Tell them while you’d be only too happy to help, you’re already working on other urgent assignments, and that you won’t be able to achieve all those things in the given timeframe. If your boss insists, assess the degree of urgency of the request and, if necessary, set a deadline.

While some work limits are more flexible than others, it’s important you don’t feel obliged to accept every request. The professional world is full of unforeseen events, but not everything is urgent. It’s up to you to take a step back, prioritise your assignments, and segment your working time.

And don’t forget to take regular breaks, as this is essential to maintaining long-term efficiency.