What are boundaries?
A boundary is a limit or space between you and another person.
A clear place where you begin and the other person ends.
The purpose of setting a healthy boundary is of course to protect and take good care of you.
Healthy boundaries can serve to establish one's identity.
Specifically,
Healthy boundaries can help people define their individuality and can help people indicate what they will and will not hold themselves responsible for.
While boundaries are often psychological or emotional,
Boundaries can also be physical.
For example,
Declining physical contact from a co-worker is setting an important boundary.
One that's just as crucial as setting an emotional boundary.
I.
E.
Asking that same co-worker not to make unreasonable demands on your time or emotions.
Healthy boundaries are a crucial component of self-care.
That's because in work or in our personal relationships,
Poor boundaries can lead to resentment,
Anger and ultimately burnout.
So what are some examples of healthy boundaries?
Your right to privacy.
The ability to change your mind.
The right to your own time.
The need to handle negative energy.
The right to be able to say no.
What do healthy boundaries look like to you?
A simple way to create boundaries looks like this and has an easy four step process.
Step number one.
First of all,
You need to define what your boundary is.
In order to do that,
I would ask that you start by taking a journal and jotting down all of the ways in which you feel that maybe you aren't being respected.
This will give you a clear understanding of where you need to set a boundary.
Write down what that boundary is and with whom that person is.
Maybe the boundary is with yourself or maybe the boundary is with another person.
The second thing that you need to do is communicate your boundary.
So if that's to yourself,
Then you can clearly write it down in your journal or just speak it aloud to yourself in the mirror.
If that boundary is with another person,
Then you want to focus on keeping your communication short and simple,
Which leads us on to step three.
So when you actually share your communication around your boundary,
Make sure that you don't over explain yourself.
Make sure that you keep it simple and easy for the other person to understand.
And step four,
You want to state why this is important to you.
So what is the reason for setting this boundary?
How does it relate back to one of your needs or how you need to feel respected?
Once you can share that with the person in front of you or with yourself,
It's going to give them or you a deeper reason of why you need to stick to this boundary and why it's so important.
So there you have it.
A simple way to set healthy boundaries.
What part of your life do you need to set a boundary in today?
