Nurturing a Fulfilling Life: The Impact of Cultivating Healthy Boundaries
Are you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or constantly stressed out by the demands of others? It's time to take control and prioritize your well-being with Healthy Boundaries. Healthy boundaries involve knowing and understanding our own limits and being able to communicate them assertively and respectfully. They also entail recognizing and honouring the boundaries of others, fostering mutual respect and understanding in relationships. With healthy boundaries in place, we can maintain a sense of autonomy, take responsibility for our own actions and emotions, and nurture healthier, more authentic connections with those around us.
The goal of implementing healthy boundaries is for us to connect with the people and things that are important to us. However, when setting a boundary it may feel uncomfortable because it is new. You’re implementing something that will change the dynamic in your relationship, but it’s important to keep in mind what the end goal is.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are responsible for your boundaries. Although you may have vocalized your boundary, you are ultimately responsible for following through. You do this by applying action (e.g, putting away your phone during social gatherings) or healthy communication (e.g, voicing your desires in a kind and direct manner). This doesn’t mean that you will begin to get everything you want, but it does mean that you begin to take ownership of things that you can control.
Here’s action-oriented tips to help you set healthy boundaries:
Boundary Beliefs
How do you feel about setting a boundary? What do you need to do to feel safe in setting healthy boundaries?
Tune into your Feelings
Become aware of what you are feeling by paying attention to your bodily sensations e.g, notice where you’re feeling that emotion in your body
Try a body scan meditation (download Insight Timer for a variety of meditations)
Name your feelings (download the Upbeing App and begin to track your feelings)
Know your Values
What’s important to you and how are you going to use that to guide you? How are your boundaries going to support these values?
You can download this worksheet created by Brene Browne to explore your values (Choose 3 values for yourself)
Identify your Limits
Make a list of what you want, need, and will not tolerate.
The Significance
Why is the boundary important to you? What difference will it make in your life?
Commitment
Remind yourself why you put these boundaries in place and how you and your loved ones will benefit when you follow through.
These are a few things to keep in mind and explore as you set healthy boundaries for yourself. The beautiful thing about boundaries is that they can be adjusted to suit your lifestyle, so remind yourself to remain hopeful if you run into any roadblocks or feel like you’re stuck. The more we explore our inner world, the more authentic our boundaries will be, allowing us to create the lives we desire. I hope the tools above provide you with more insight and allow you to set healthy boundaries that make you feel empowered and safe. If you need more help navigating healthy boundaries, feel free to book a call with me!
Shawntella xx