…In Your Wellbeing Practice?
This isn’t about learning to say no for the sake of it, it’s about protecting your energy and building a practice that doesn’t wear you down in the process.
Last week we talked about burnout, the kind that creeps in quietly. The kind that hides behind helpfulness, full diaries, and a smile that says “I’m fine” even when you’re not.
Today, I want to talk about something that sits underneath most of that exhaustion: boundaries. And more specifically, the guilt that often comes with them.
How many times have you said yes when everything in your body was saying no?
How often have you replied to a message at 10pm, squeezed in a last-minute client, worked through your only break, all because you didn’t want to let someone down?
It’s more common than you think.
Especially in this work, where care and compassion are core to everything you do.
But here’s the truth:
Saying no isn’t about rejection. It’s about regulation.
When you say no to something that drains you, you say yes to your energy, your health, your capacity, and your longevity in the work.
Boundaries aren’t the opposite of care.
They’re what make care sustainable.
A few years ago, I supported a massage therapist who’d booked herself solid for ten days straight. No breaks. No gaps. She said she didn’t want her clients to feel she was turning them away.
By day eleven, she couldn’t use her hands.
She didn’t need time off, she needed a system that gave her permission to take space before her body forced her to.
That’s what I help people put in place.
Not corporate policies or red tape, but simple, human, protective boundaries that give you structure, clarity, and room to breathe.
That might look like:
- A cancellation policy that’s actually enforced
- A welcome pack that sets expectations from the start
- An email responder that protects your evenings
It’s not about being harsh. It’s about being clear.
And clear is kind.
Something To Reflect On Today:
Where in your work are you saying yes when you actually mean no?
If you want to share, feel free to get in touch.
Something you need to protect.
Time. Energy. Rest. Fridays.
There’s power in naming it.
If you’re self-employed or running your practice solo, boundaries aren’t a luxury. They’re essential.
And if you want help putting some of this into words, writing policies, setting client expectations, protecting your off-time, I can help you get it out of your head and onto paper.
Because this is what HR is really for.
Not to box you in, but to hold space for you to do your best work, without burning out.
I’ll be back next week, where we’ll talk about the hidden cost of emotional labour, and how to stop carrying what was never yours to hold in the first place.
Take care of you,
Samantha Newton
Founder, Magenta Core HR Solutions
Practical support for the people behind the practice
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Main – Photo by Josie Weiss on Unsplash
