This HR.com article by Stephen Markowitz reframes boundaries—moving from "fences" that keep things out to "containers" that hold and protect what matters most. He argues this shift is urgently needed as burnout costs U.S. companies between $4,000 and $21,000 per employee annually.

Stephen explains that defensive boundaries rarely work: demands simply find new ways in. Containers ask a different question—not "How do I keep this out?" but "What structure lets me stay present without being depleted?" In practice, this means designing intentional structures: protected morning blocks for strategy, meetings that end on time, and rituals that mark the shift into deep work.

The framework extends to personal life and relationships—giving renewal activities their own rhythm rather than squeezing them into leftover hours, and creating phone-free dinners or uninterrupted conversation time.

Stephen traces the concept to his work with mission-driven leaders and to the Jewish Hasidic practice of Avoda Pnimis (inner work)—being shaped from within rather than defined by external pressures. The real problem isn't time scarcity—it's poor container design. When leaders build proper containers, inner work becomes the engine of better decisions, steadier leadership, and sustainable impact.