What are boundaries and why are they important? In the holiday season, boundaries are especially crucial.
Boundaries protect our space, our feelings and our time. We need them, but enforcing them can often feel awkward or uncomfortable. There might be subtle signs that you need to set a boundary such as a specific person draining your energy, taking up too much of your time or encroaching in your personal space. In our romantic relationships a boundary can be violated in several ways for example by a partner demanding too much of our time/attention or making comments that are disrespectful when they are angry or upset.
Setting Boundaries
A few simple ways to set boundaries with family members or significant others:
-
Learn to say “no.” We cannot please everyone or show up for every single event we are invited to. If you don’t want to do something, it is okay to say no.
-
Set your phone to do not disturb after a certain hour in the night. People should not be disrupting your sleep with phone calls and texts late into the evening.
-
Ask for help. No one expects you to be a superhero and do everything all by yourself.
-
If your partner crosses a boundary, let them know. Ask for some personal time. We all need it.
If you want to read more about setting boundaries you can check out this article on HuffPost.
How do you set boundaries in your life? Comment below. I want to hear from you. If you need help setting boundaries with others, head over to the contact page to learn about scheduling an appointment with me.
